Episodes

Episode 81: The development of common character types through the travelling troupes. The hierarchy of character, the troupe, and how that reflected society in general. The five main characters: Pantalone Il Dottore Il Capitano Pulchinello Harlequin Minor characters: Brighella Pedrolino Columbine and other female characters The young lovers Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com www.ko-fi.com/thoetp www.patreon.com/thoetp This podcast uses the following thi...

Episode 80: The influence of Italian literary theatre can be seen in later works, but if there is one form that infiltrated the general consciousness of theatrical comedy on the continent it is the Commedia Dell’arte. A definition of what we mean by Commedia Dell’arte as it emerged in the Italian renaissance, and the difficulties with this. Professionalism, comedy, masks and the degree of improvisation, or not. Theories about the origins of the Commedia Dell’arte. From Roman mime and pantom...

Episode 79: As things moved on in the early renaissance art - painting and sculpture - led the way and theatre soon followed. Artists tried to inject more realism into their work, showing their subjects as they really were, or as close as they could get. The colours of clothes, skin tones, fruit, countryside scenery and, well, whatever the artist’s subject was, became more subtle and realistic as artists looked at the different impacts of viewpoint, light and light sources in paintings and stri...

Episode 78: Records about the second corral in Madrid tell us a lot about the theatre. In this episode we go through the details of what the different parts of the theatre on the Calle del Principe were like. A short reminder of the history of the Corral in Spain as featured in episode 74. The location building of the Corral del Principe as a rival to the original Madrid playhouse, the Corral de la Cruz. The Facade wall on Calle del Principe The doors in the facade and how they changed The...

Episode 77: The life of Pedro Calderon de la Barca who took Lope de Vega’s crown as the greatest living Spanish playwright after Lope’s death in 1635 His childhood, youthful brushes with the law, military service and early playwriting. His best regarded play ‘Life Is a Dream’ from 1632. A synopsis of the plot of ‘Life Is A Dream’ An analysis of the main themes of the play and it’s relationship to cloak and dagger plays. Duty and honour The philosophical aspects of the play The question o...

Episode 76: A discussion of a sample of the plays by Lope de Vega The Gardener's Dog: A Comedy The meaning of the title, a plot summary, the major themes. Punishment Without Vengeance: A Tragedy. A plot summary, it's debt to Seneca, the ironic triangle of anti-heroes, the question of incest, and the violence of the honour culture. The historical context of the play. Realism in the plays. The plays of intrigue The role of the leading female character, the 'Dama' Sheep Well. The plot Summar...

A special bonus episode to celebrate the second anniversary of the podcast. We step out of the timeline of the renaissance theatre as I tell the story of the venue that was the home to my first theatrical experiences - The Castle Theatre, Farnham For much of the information in this episode I am indebted to Matthew Lloyd for the use of material. For information about many UK theatres and music halls go to: http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk For further information about Waverley Abbey go to: https://...

Episode 75: The Life of Lope de Vega, greatest dramatist of the Spanish Renaissance Theatre. He had a very full life which was not just confined to writing plays, but his output was prolific on a scale that has not been matched before or since. This is his story. Then a short overview of what was special about his plays, his attitude to Aristotle and his prescriptions on the use of poetry. A word on the inevitable comparison with Shakespeare. Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropean...

A special bonus episode to celebrate the Birthday of William Shakespeare which looks at the way he used and created the English Language. Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com www.ko-fi.com/thoetp www.patreon.com/thoetp This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Episode 74: The development of Spanish theatre buildings, including the original, the Corral de la Olivera in Valencia. Alberto Ganassa and the influence of his Comedia Dell Arte troupe. The first theatre in Madrid the Corral de Pachea The main points of the layout and characteristics of the Spanish playhouse. The way plays changed to suit the playhouse, including the breaking of Aristotle’s rules. The financial structures that were used to generate charitable income from the theatre and t...

Episode 73 Continuing the story of the development of theatre through the early Spanish renaissance via the life and works of the playwrights. With apologies for the slightly raspy 'post-covid' throat at the time of recording. I hope it does not spoil your enjoyment of the episode. Gil Vicente, the only Portuguese playwright of the period, but one who worked across the Spanish peninsular and produced influential works. Lope de Rueda took theatre to the masses and produced the first truly comm...

Episode 72 The Situation in Spain prior to the Renaissance period with a summary of developments in the Roman and Medieval periods in Spain. The merging of religious and secular theatre at the end of the medieval period. The ‘autos’ and how it developed out of liturgical drama and the only surviving example ‘The Play of the Three Kings’. From the 12th Century ‘Pamphylus in Love’. The Spanish version of the cycle play. The poetic dialogue and its influence on theatre. The religious plays o...

Episode 71 The continuation of the story of Renaissance theatre in France. The rise of the two theatres in Paris as travelling players were at last allowed to perform in the city. Antoine de Montchrestien and his version of Greek tragedy. The three farceurs Henri Legrand, Robert Guerin, and Hugues Gueru who made the Theatre du Bourgogne the venue in Paris for comedy. The development of the Theatre du Bourgogne under the management of Valeran le Conte and the establishment of ‘Comediens Du R...

Episode 70 Catherine De Medici, her arrival in Paris for marriage to Henry, second son of Francis 1st. Her cultural influence and role as wife of the King, and mother to three successive French rulers. The Hotel De Bourgogne, the only playhouse in Paris Mellin de Saint-Gelais the royal librarian who penned adaptations of Italian tragedy Etienne Jodelle was hailed as the new Sophocles after his first play, but quickly fell out of favour after his second and some intemperate praise. The stron...

Episode 69 The Renaissance met the Reformation in the Germanic States of Northern Europe so we start with a word on Martin Luther and his love of music and qualified approval of theatre. Latin drama of Jacob Wimpheling and Thomas Naogeorgus. The history of Hanswurst and Brandt's 'Ship of Fools' 'Students' by Christoph Stumble gets it's second mention on the podcast. The versatility of Johannes Reuchlin German biblical plays The German plays of Henrich Julius von Braunschweig, Duke of Brun...

Episode 68 A detailed look at 'La Pellegrina', a play written for the wedding celebrations of Grand Duke Fernando of Sienna in 1589. The background to the writing of the play commissioned by Cardinal Fernando Di Midici A description of the plot of the play Some commentary on the play, its relationship to Ancient Greek and Roman drama, the changes in stop characters since the beginning of Renaissance Italian Theatre and its legacy. Support the podcast at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com...

Episode 67 In this third part of the story of theatre in the Italian Renaissance the counter reformation overshadows the work of playwrights. We conclude the story of Giovan Maria Cecchi with a look at his later sacred drama that still managed to amuse and entertain. The plays of Leone de'Sommi are mostly lost thanks to a library fire, but his surviving plays are of interest as we see a Jewish playwright operating both in and for the culture of his community and in the context of broader rena...

Episode 66 Continuing from the last episode with more comedic dramatists from the Italian renaissance we meet Angelo Beolco who, under the tutorage of Ariosto, created, and became synonymous with, the character of Ruzzante. Then on to Alessandro Piccolomini and Giovan Maria Cecchi, who both left indelible traces on the development of comedy in the sixteenth century. Support the podcast here: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com www.patreon.com/thoetp www.ko-fi.com/thoetp  This podcast us...

For Christmas 2021 a reading of 'Dancing Dan's Christmas', a short story by Damon Runyon. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Episode 65 The development of tragedy and comedy in early Italian renaissance theatre happened on parallel paths as each struggeled to look forward rather than back. The development of Tragedy following the rediscovery of the plays of Sophocles. The continuing influence of Aristotle and Seneca. Playwrights Giovani Trissino and Giovanni Giraldi (aka Cinthio) The court at Ferrara and bloody tragedy Other notable tragedians from the period. The development of comedy as 'Comedy Erudite' and t...

Episode 64 In the first part of season four we bridge the gap between the Medieval and Renaissance periods with a mention of the key artistic movements and historical events that can be used to mark the beginning of the period. How theatre looked back to the rediscovered plays of Ancient Greece and Rome and the writings of Vitruvius on Theatre Architecture. The earliest plays of the period, showing how the Renaissance got started in the late 1300s. A word on the development of Opera and Ball...

Season 4 Trailer: European Renaissance Theatre www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com Twitter: @thoetp Patreon: www.patreon.com/thoetp This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Episode 63 In a coda to season 3 somewhere in England an acting troupe travels through a cold December at the tale end of the Medieval period, in search of an audience. A fictional account using the facts and assumptions discussed in the Medieval Theatre season of the podcast. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this bonus episode we get an introduction the the diary of Philip Henslowe, theatre owner and businessman during the end of the Tudor period and beginning of the Stuart period. Elements from the diary will feature on upcoming episodes for podcast supporters on Patreon. To support the podcast go to: www.patreon.com/thoetp www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy