Episodes
Aug. 7, 2023
Two Blackfriars, a Curtain, a Rose and a Swan: The London Playhouses 1587 – 1642 part 1
Episode 103: The story of the next phase of theatre building in Elizabethan London featuring the indoor and outdoor playhouses. The First Blackfriars Theatre The Curtain Philip Henslowe The Rose Francis Langley The Swan The …
July 24, 2023
The Elizabethan Playing Troupes
Episode 102: The sources of information on the playing troupes. The Earl of Leicester’s Men – the earliest recorded acting troupe. How troupes operated under the patronage of their master. The royal patent and how it changed…
July 10, 2023
Edward 2nd & The Jew of Malta: The Rest of Marlow
Episode 101: How Marlowe’s other plays differ from Tamburlaine and Dr Faustus. The plot of ‘The Jew of Malta’. The depiction of Barabbas the Jew and how it might have been received by the audience. ‘Edward 2nd’ as a history …
July 3, 2023
400 Years of the First Folio: Part 3 The Folio In The World
As my own small contribution to the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the printing of the first folio of Shakespeare's plays in this third and final episode of a short mini-series I look at the printing and selling of…
June 26, 2023
Dr Faustus: Wisdom, Power, and the Immortal Soul
Episode 100: Dr Faustus is one of the most influential plays of the Elizabethan period. Most commentators see this play as Marlowe’s masterpiece, and it is certainly the most performed of his plays through the centuries. Th…
June 19, 2023
400 Years of the First Folio: Part 2 Creating the Folio
As my own small contribution to the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the printing of the first folio of Shakespeare's plays in this second episode of a short mini-series I look at the inspiration and motivations for …
June 12, 2023
The Two parts of Tamburlaine the Great
Episode 99: Marlowe’s ‘Tamburlaine the Great’ is a play in two parts, an early example of a writer responding to popular acclaim by giving his audience more of the same, but for all of that mercenary motivation, and the fact…
June 5, 2023
400 Years of the First Folio: Part 1 The Folio on Display
As my own small contribution to the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the printing of the first folio of Shakespeare's plays in this first episode of a short mini-series I recount a recent journey to London to see cop…
May 29, 2023
Marlowe’s Mighty Line
Episode 98: Marlowe as a playwright at the beginning of the greatest period of Elizabethan creativity. A short recap on Marlowe’s university life. Marlowe moves to London. The anonymity and earning power of Elizabethan playw…
May 22, 2023
Stage Ghosts and Haunted Theatres: A Conversation With Nick Bromley
Nick Bromley returns to discuss his book Stage Ghosts and Haunted Theatres. Stories of strange happenings in theatres abound and Nick has collected them together that takes you on a ghostly tour of London's West End and UK r…
May 15, 2023
The Short Life and Strange Death of Christopher Marlowe
Episode 97: Christopher Marlowe was one of the giants of Elizabethan theatre, but he died young in mysterious circumstances. In this episode I try to unpick the mystery of why he died. Was it just an argument about the cost …
May 8, 2023
The Reasonable Audience: A Conversation With Dr Kirsty Sedgman
In this special episode I discuss historic and recent audience behaviour in the Theatre and how that behaviour reflects changes in society, with some particular reference to recent events in society and at some theatrical pe…
May 1, 2023
Thomas Nashe: Satirist, Pamphleteer & Playwright
Episode 96: The life and works of Thomas Nashe Early Life Cambridge University and ‘Terminus et non Terminus’ Nash moves to London and joins the ‘University Wits’ Pamphlets and work for the Archbishop of Canterbury Nashe’s s…
April 23, 2023
The Genius of Shakespeare with Colin David Reese
To celebrate Shakespeare's birthday a special episode with guest Colin David Reese, actor, author and performer of 'Shakespeare Unbound', a one man play about the creation of the First Folio Edition of Shakespeare's plays, w…
April 17, 2023
A Sextet of Tudor Playwrights
Episode 95: The life and plays of some of the lesser known playwrights of the Tudor period. George Gascoigne - his shady life story and his Italian translations into English prose. Robert Greene - how he carved out a profess…
April 10, 2023
Theatre Lore: A Conversation With Nick Bromley
Nick Bromley has had a long career as a Stage Manager and Company Stage Manager and has worked on many UK tours and West End shows. He recently collated his acquired knowledge into a dictionary of theatrical terms, myths and…
April 3, 2023
Gorboduc: The Tragedy of Ferrex and Porrex
Episode 94: Gorboduc the first tragedy in blank verse The lives of the co-authors Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville The plot of the play including the description of the opening dumb show The origins of the Gorboduc story T…
March 27, 2023
The History Of European Theatre on Patreon
A Bonus episode featuring a sample of the content available to members subscribed to The History Of European Theatre on Patreon. To join up go to: www.patreon.com/thoetp Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheat…
March 20, 2023
Comedy, History & Morality: Three Early Tudor Plays
Episode 93: The earliest extant plays from the Tudor period include comedies and a historical morality, which give an insight into how theatre developed. A summary of the elements that came together to make Tudor theatre a v…
March 13, 2023
From The Battlefield To the Stage: A Conversation with Professor Norman Poser
There are just a few very well-known names from the theatre of the 18 th century – Sheridan, Goldsmith, Garrick and some other, less well known. One playwright you have probably never heard of is John Borgoyne – well not as…
March 6, 2023
The State Vs the Theatre part 2: Elizabeth
Episode 92: Elizabeth’s reign is seen as the golden age of theatre where many great playwrights, and one genius in particular, flourished. But did that happen because of the freedoms they were granted, or because of the con…
Feb. 27, 2023
Shakespeare Unbound: A conversation With Colin David Reese
A special episode in conversation with actor and Shakespeare expert Colin David Reese who's one man play 'Shakespeare Unbound' tells of the production of the first folio edition of Shakespeare's plays and it's creator John H…
Feb. 20, 2023
The State Vs the Theatre part 1: Henry, Edward, & Mary
Episode 91: By the 1530s the State was concerned with the regulation & censorship of plays. Here are the key moments of legislation under Henry, Edward & Mary. The background of what made legislation necessary. The end of th…
Feb. 6, 2023
Creating a Profession: The Development of the Stage-Player
Episode 90: The development of the profession of acting, of ‘stage-playing’ through the Tudor period. How the professional stage player developed out of the medieval entertainer. How travelling players became household playe…