Episodes

A special episode to make the First Birthday of the Podcast featuring five stories from the history of the London Theatre Charles 2nd and Nell Gwyn King George, the Prince of Wales, and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The ghost...

A short episode to introduce the new website for the podcast and the Facebook Group. Find us on the web at: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com Find us as a Facebook Group as: The History of European Theatre Podcast Group Als...

A special bonus episode to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare. Here, in seven parts, is a glimpse into a Shakespearean life: Birth, The School Room, The Players, Marriage, Poet, London and The Death...

Episode 47 To conclude the season on the theatre of Rome this episode imagines a resident of the city in 54BCE, recounting in a letter to a sick friend, a day spent travelling to the theatre of Pompey and the time spent there...

Episode 46: The second and concluding part of a summary of Roman Theatre presented as my personal top ten of the most influential, interesting and surprising aspects of Roman Theatre. This episode goes from number 5 to number...

Episode 45 The first part of a summary of Roman Theatre presented as my personal top ten of the most influential, interesting and surprising aspects of Roman Theatre. This episode goes from number 10 to number 6. The top 5 wi...

Episode 44: A detailed look at the Roman art of Pantomime which was the preeminent form of dramatic art during the Imperial period. Dr Elodie Palliard's thoughts on why Pantomime dominated and how it was used by the Emperors....

Episode 43: The history of Roman Mime, one for the two dramatic forms that dominated theatre in the Roman Imperial period. A word on Horace and his work The Art Of Poetry, one of the most influential works of dramatic theory....

Episode 42: This episode takes a detailed look at Phaedra, Seneca's version of the Hippolytus myth. The two versions by Euripides and how Seneca used these A summary of the play The differences in Seneca's version from Euripi...

Episode 41 In this episode I take a detailed look at Seneca's version of Medea. The story of a woman who is a foreigner and a witch suited his form of dark tragedy perfectly. A summary of the narrative of the play The impact ...

Episode 40 The life and tines of Seneca - Philosopher, Playwright, Poet and Statesman who operated in the time of emperor Nero. The origins of Roman Tragic drama and the little we know about it's exponents. The life of Seneca...

Episode 39 The Brothers, dated to 160 BCE, is Terence’s last surviving work. We have that date exactly because the play is recorded as being presented at the games held to honour the Roman general Lucius Aemillus Paullus. Th...

Episode 38 A look at 'The Self Tormenter' by Terence. Written in 162 or 163 BCE this is the story of disagreements between fathers and sons over the choice of women and how a clever slave almost wins the day. A synopsis of th...

Episode 37 Terence had a short life and left only six complete comic plays, but he moved the genre on from Plautus and other earlier dramatists. The story of his beginnings as a slave and how he came to Rome The circles he mo...

Episode 36 The influence of Plautus and other Roman playwrights has long been understood, but what are those influences and how did the Roman plays come to the attention of Rennaisance playwrights? How manuscripts survived af...

Episode 35 The Menaechmus Brothers is taken from a Greek new comedy original and via this version by Plautus was used by later dramatists, most notably Shakespeare. In the first half of this episode I summaries the plot that ...

Episode 34 In this eisode we take a detailed look at Casina by Plautus. It is a tale of two men who try to use their slaves in a plot marry the young Casina by proxy. It has a prologue of particular interest. The usual stock ...

Episode 33 The life and times of Plautus, the first Roman Playwright from whom we have surviving works. After a hard start he became the most popular of the Roman playwrights churning out comedy after comedy. This episode loo...

A little extra episode for Christmas week with best wishes to you all for the holiday season. If you would like to support the podcast please find us at: www.Patreon.com or www.ko-fi.com This podcast uses the following third-...

Episode 32 An interview with theatre director Jimmy Walters about his 2017 production of Trackers of Oxyrhynchus by Tony Harrison. This version of the Satyr play 'Trackers' by Sophocles was originally performed by the Nationa...

Episode 31 An interview with Dr Elodie Paillard discussing her work on the non-elite characters in the plays of Sophocles and what they tell us about changes in athenian society in the 5th Century BCE. Dr Paillard is Honorary...

Episode 30 An interview with Dr Elodie Paillard discussing the development of Roman theatre and the extent to which it developed out of Greek theatre. Dr Paillard is Honorary Associate in the Department of Classics and Ancien...

Episode 29 A look at the detail of the staging of Roman plays, including the use of the stage, scenery, masks, props and costume. How wall paintings and sculpture may give us some useful insights into Roman theatre. The posit...

Episode 28 Theatre gets its first permanent home in Rome as Pompey builds a theatre to his own glory. The story of how he was able to do that is one of wealth, pride deception and not a little ego. Support the podcast at: www...