London Civic Theatre
London Civic Theatre
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USDCivic theatre - drama and pageantry sponsored by city and town governing bodies - is prominent in histories of early English provincial drama but has been largely ignored for pre-Elizabethan London. Anne Lancashire explodes the widely held notion that significant London theatre arose only in the age of Shakespeare, when the first commercial playhouses were built there. She outlines the extent and types of early civic theatrical performance, specifically in London, from Roman times to Elizabeth I's accession to the throne in 1558, focusing on Roman amphitheatre shows, medieval and early Tudor plays, mummings, royal entries, and other kinds of street pageantry. With evidence from a multitude of primary sources and extensive use of early chronicle histories, the book raises questions about this urban, largely political theatre which provided an important foundation for the work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
- Takes in non-scripted drama from Roman London to the Elizabethan period, i.e. medieval and Renaissance drama in one book
- Author edited the Records of Early English Drama volume on this topic, published in 2003
- For historians as well as drama specialists
Reviews & endorsements
"[An] informative and expansive history of pre-Elizabethan civic drama in London...[Lancashire's] work here will go a long way towards finally undoing the longstanding assumption that theatrical culture in London was unimportant and at best uninspired before the opening of the city's first purpose-built theaters in the 1570s." Adam Zucker, Columbia University, Albion
"A work of awe-inspiring scholarship covering 1500 years of civic theater in London. [It] will undoubtedly become standard reference matierial for anyone interested in the field. [...] This book is a monumental achievement." Studies in English Literature
"An extraordinary book on London theater before Shakespeare." Bibliotheque d'Humanisme et Renaissance
"Lancashire's study makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of the rich and complex history of early drama in England in general and of London in particular." Renaissance Quarterly
Product details
December 2002Hardback
9780521632782
376 pages
229 × 152 × 25 mm
0.72kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Company designations
- London Mayors and Sheriffs
- Transcription Practices
- Introduction
- Part I. From Roman Times to 1410:
- 1. Roman London
- 2. London c.410–1200
- 3. London 1200–1410
- Part II. From 1410 to 1558:
- 4. Company hall plays: performance records
- 5. Company hall plays: types and performers
- 6. Civic theatre and John Lydgate
- 7. Land entries
- 8. Water shows
- 9. The Midsummer Watch
- 10. The Lord Mayor's Show
- Appendices: Appendix A. Royals and other entries 1400–1558
- Appendix B. Selected civic records.
