The History of European Theatre Podcast
A chronological history of the development and practice of theatre, tracing the emergence from ancient Greece through to the present day.
The History of European Theatre looks at the places where theatre was made and the people who made it happen. More than just dates and lists of plays we’ll share the social, political and historical context that fostered the creation of dramatic art.
Latest Episodes
Everyman: Dutch Morality
Episode 59Everyman is the most well known of all the Morality plays and probably an English adaptation of a Dutch original.Different types of Morality PlaysThe Morality play in Europe and how they differed from the [...]
The Castle of Perseverance
Episode 58The Castle of Perseverance is a great example of how difficult it can be to discuss the form of a play separately from the content and in this case we have an illustration that [...]
Virtues Vs Vices: The Morality Play
Episode 57The Morality play is a type of play that for all its similarities and shared heritage with the Corpus Christi cycle plays brought something new to the world of drama and had a profound [...]
Full Episode Listing
Medieval Stage Effects
Episode 53
Stage sets, costuming and special effects became quite sophisticated in the cycle plays during the sixteenth century. This episode looks at the examples of stage sets that we have from Valenciennes. You can see […]
Medieval Performance and Rehearsal
Episode 52
This episode looks at how the Corpus Christi plays were organised and staffed with actors, tradesmen and other organisers and supporters.
How rehearsals were organised and what was expected of actors, including details of the […]
Ian McKellen’s Hamlet: A Return to Theatre
A short bonus episode celebrating Hamlet in a production by Sean Mathias, staring Sir Ian McKellen, which marked my return to live theatre after more than a year.
Corpus Christi: New Feast Day, New Plays
Episode 51
The instigation of the Corpus Christi feat day too theatre out of the church and into the town and village. This episode looks at the development of the celebration of the new feast […]
Synods Tropes Asses and Fools
Episode 50
The Synod of Winchester issued direction on the performance of the Trope in 960 and the door was open for further developments on other feast days.
Then a look at other church festivals with dramatic […]
Uncomfortable Bedfellows: Theatre and Worship
Episode 49
The story of how theatre found it’s way into the church service on the most important days in the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. For a long time drama was a […]