The origins of English drama
The origins of English drama are rooted in religion and religious rites in Europe. Many historians believe that English drama may have
arrived in 1066 with the Norman Conquest, when the Romans left behind a large amphitheater for performing plays. However, there is
no solid evidence of its origin.
Drama in England evolved from liturgical plays to miracle plays, and eventually to mystery plays. The subject matter of plays was often
suggested by the season, such as Christmas and Easter, or stories from the Bible, saints, or the life of Christ. The church attempted to
suppress drama at the beginning of the Dark Ages, but as plays became more popular and secular, the church was gradually replaced
by theaters.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, drama in England flourished, with playwrights like Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, and Ben
Jonson writing popular five-act plays with multiple scenes. In the 1660s, scenery and stage machinery were introduced to the English
public stage, leading to the rise of semi-operas and the recognition of women as professional actresses and playwrights
The prologue gives the audience important background information about the characters and their situations. For example, the
prologue may introduce the main characters, describe the circumstances which the characters are in as the play begins, or highlight
themes of the play.
History Of English Drama
Drama is a literary composition, which is performed by professional actors on stage (or theatre), before an audience. It involves conflicts,
actions and a particular theme. Eye-catching make up, facial expressions and body language of the artists are prominent features of a
live performance. Although the art form exists in different countries, drama in England deserves special mention, because some of the
legendary dramatists, including William Shakespeare, are associated with it. Go through the following lines and get some interesting
information on the history, background and origin of English drama.
Interesting Information On Background & Origin Of English Drama
Emergence
The Romans introduced drama to England, during the medieval period. A number of auditoriums were constructed for the performance
of the art form, when it came to the country. Mummers’ plays, associated with the Morris dance, became a popular form of street theatre
during the period. The performances were based on the old stories of Saint George, Robin Hood and Dragon. The artists moved from
town to town, to perform these folk tales. They were given money and hospitality, in return for their performance. The mystery and
morality plays, performed during medieval period — at religious festivals, carried the Christian theme.
English Renaissance
The English Renaissance, a cultural and artistic movement in England country that lasted from 16th to early-17th century, paved the way
for the dominance of drama in the country. Queen Elizabeth I ruled during the period, when great poetry and drama were produced. The
renowned playwrights of this time included William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson and John Webster. The dramatists
wrote plays based on themes like history, comedy and tragedy. While most of the playwrights specialized in only one of the themes,
Shakespeare emerged as an artist who produced plays based on all the three themes.
Interregnum (1649–1660)
During the period of Interregnum, the Puritans closed English theatres for their own religious purposes and ideological reasons.
However, the theatres in London were reopened soon after the ‘Restoration of the Monarchy’ in 1660. With the support of Prince Charles
II, the theatres continued to flourish in the country. The topical writing of the dramatists and the introduction of professional female actors
to drama (until then, all the female characters were played by men) gained the attention of the audience.
The Restoration gave rise to the inclusion of new genres in drama, such as heroism and Restoration comedy. George Etherege’s ‘The
Man of Mode’ (1676), William Wycherley’s ‘The Country Wife’ (1676), Aphra Behn’s ‘The Rover’ (1677) John Dryden’s ‘All for Love’
(1677) and (Aureng-Zebe) (1675) and Thomas Otway’s ‘Venice Preserved’ (1682) were some of the popular plays of the period. Sexual
explicitness was the highlight of the comic plays during the Restoration. Price Charles II and the aristocratic ethos of his court
encouraged such plays, which started from 1660 and continued until 1685.
18th Century
The Restoration comedy in England, which had started in the later half of the 17th century, faded away with the advent of the 18th
century. Domestic tragedy and sentimental comedy became the new flavor of the period. Fair-booth burlesque and musical
entertainment, which preceded the English music hall, flourished during the period, suppressing the popularity of legitimate English
drama.
Victorian Era (1837–1901)
Musical burlesques and comic operas competed with the plays written by Shakespeare, during the Victorian Era. The German Reed
Entertainments took efforts to give a boost to the musical theatre in Britain, in 1855. In 1890, the first series of Edwardian musical
comedies were introduced to the country. Improved transportation resulted in the movement of the audience, who could now afford to
travel to the theatres late in the night as well. The number of potential patrons of English theatre saw a significant growth. As a result,
plays started running for longer duration in the theatres.
With time, more and more people started coming to theatres. This resulted in drama being a profit making business. The increase in the
audience resulted in the improvement in the production value of drama. The art form recorded consecutive performance, due to the
increase in its popularity. The late Victorian Era saw the growing fame of W. S. Gilbert and Oscar Wilde, leading poets and dramatists of
the period. The plays written by Wilde had close resemblance to those written by the Edwardian dramatists, such as George Bernard
Shaw (an Irishman) and Henrik Ibsen (a Norwegian).
Emergence Of New Medium
The Edwardian musical comedy, together with foreign operetta imports, occupied the London stage until World War I, when they were
replaced by the increasing popularity of American musical theatre and comedies. Noel Coward, Ivor Novello and their contemporaries
soon replaced the Edwardian musical comedy. It was during this time that a new medium — motion picture — started gaining popularity.
Initially, the motion pictures comprised of silent movies.
With the passing time, the movies were premiered with sound tracks. This posed a challenge to the live theatre performance, which
faced a downfall. In the 1920s, films like ‘The Jazz Singer’, released with synchronized sound track, made the critics assume that the
‘new medium’ would soon replace live theatre. However, the English drama didn’t vanish away altogether. Playwrights continued to
exist, though some of the dramatists started writing for the new medium.
The Present Time
The majority of musical dramas of the 20th century were written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who dominated the scene during the period.
His works gained immense popularity. Consequently, the dramas traveled to Broadway in New York and around the world. Some of
them were turned into feature films as well. Postmodernism had a serious effect on the existence of English drama, in the end of 20th
century. However, a large number of theatres still exist around Shaftesbury Avenue, in the western part of London. The Royal
Shakespeare Company, operating from Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s hometown), currently produces most of the plays written by
the legendary dramatist.
