Synopses & Reviews
Civic theater (drama and pageantry sponsored by city and town governing bodies) is prominently featured in histories of early English provincial drama, but largely ignored in those of pre-Elizabethan London. Anne Lancashire explodes the widely-held notion that significant London theater arose jnly in Shakespeare's era, when the first commercial playhouses were built. She presents a rich panorama of civic theatrical life in London before 1558 that includes Roman amphitheater shows, medieval and Tudor mummings, street pjgeantry and plays.
Review
"[An] informative and expansive history of pre-Elizabethan civic drama in London...[Lancashire's] work here will go a long way towards finally undoing the longstanding assumption that theatrical culture in London was unimportant and at best uninspired before the opening of the city's first purpose-built theaters in the 1570s." Adam Zucker, Columbia University, Albion
Review
"A work of awe-inspiring scholarship covering 1500 years of civic theater in London. [It] will undoubtedly become standard reference matierial for anyone interested in the field. [...] This book is a monumental achievement." Studies in English Literature
Review
"An extraordinary book on London theater before Shakespeare." Bibliotheque d'Humanisme et Renaissance
Review
"Lancashire's study makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of the rich and complex history of early drama in England in general and of London in particular." Renaissance Quarterly
Synopsis
Rich picture of civic theatrical life in London, from Roman amphitheatre shows to Tudor pageantry.
Synopsis
Civic theatre--drama and pageantry sponsored by city and town governing bodies--is prominent in histories of early English provincial drama, but has been largely ignored for pre-Elizabethan London. Anne Lancashire explodes the widely-held notion thatsignificant London theatre arose only in the age of Shakespeare, when the first commercialplayhouses were built. She provides, with evidence from a multitude of primary sources, a rich picture of civic theatrical life in London before 1558: from Roman amphitheatre shows to medieval and Tudor mummings, street pageantry, and plays.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Company designations; London Mayors and Sheriffs; Transcription Practices; Introduction; Part I. From Roman Times to 1410: 1. Roman London; 2. London c. 410-1200; 3. London 1200-1410; Part II. From 1410 to 1558: 4. Company hall plays: performance records; 5. Company hall plays: types and performers; 6. Civic theatre and John Lydgate; 7. Land entries; 8. Water shows; 9. The Midsummer Watch; 10. The Lord Mayor's Show; Appendices: Appendix A. Royals and other entries 1400-1558; Appendix B. Selected civic records.