Episodes
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…
Jan. 23, 2023
Building Theatre: The Earliest Playhouses in London
Episode 89: As England emerged from the Medieval period theatre became established in London in purpose built theatres and in buildings adapted for the purpose. In this episode we look at those earliest theatres and their b…
Jan. 9, 2023
The Renaissance from Europe to England
Episode 88: An introduction to season 5 of the podcast. The theatrical links between England and Continental Europe in the 16 th Century. Some differences and similarities. Why English theatre stands apart from that of cont…
Dec. 31, 2022
Pantomime: A conversation with Aaron Odom - part 2
The second part of my seasonal chat with guest Aaron Odom director Trident Theatre Company and Euripides Eumenides Podcast. We pick up the story of the history of the British Christmas Pantomime, going further back to the in…
Dec. 24, 2022
Pantomime: A conversation with Aaron Odom - part 1
A seasonal episode with guest Aaron Odom director Trident Theatre Company and Euripides Eumenides Podcast where the main subject of the day is the phenomenon of the British Christmas Pantomime, but in a wide-ranging chat abo…
Dec. 12, 2022
The Oberammergau Passion Play
A bonus episode on the origins, development and recent history of The Oberammergau Passion Play. Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com www.ko-fi.com/thoetp www.patreon.com/thoetp This podcast uses the f…
Nov. 28, 2022
Pericles & Aspasia: A Conversation With Yvonne Korshak
A conversation with author Yvonne Korshak about her novel 'Pericles and Aspasia' The novel unfolds against the background of the arts and history of the Golden Age seen through the eyes of two individuals who lent their lust…
Nov. 14, 2022
Athens
Thoughts on a recent trip to the Greek capital, Athens a city resonating with ancient history Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com www.ko-fi.com/thoetp www.patreon.com/thoetp This podcast uses the foll…
Oct. 31, 2022
The Bones Of Calderon de la Bacca
A bonus episodes as a coda to the European Renaissance Theatre season following the story of what happened to the remains of Calderon de la Bacca after his death. Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com w…
Oct. 17, 2022
Renaissance Places of Seeing: Life at the Corral Del Principe
Episode 87: A fictionalised account of a day in the life of one of Madrid's Renaissance period theatres, the Corral Del Principe, using some of the facts and assumptions discussed in the season about the European Renaissance…