Week 3 Shakespeare's London and Elizabethan Audience

London:

During Shakespeare's time London was becoming a overcrowded city due to many migrants from Europe and the English Countryside moving and settling there. London was very dirty and noisy.
Every available space was built on creating homes for many people new to the area. As the biggest and richest city in England it was the home of many theatres. Most people in London were illiterate which was one good reason for them to go to the theatre, to experience entertainment in which they would only have to watch.

The population of London had risen to 200,000 by 1600 and the city was evolving as the multicultural city that it is today. There was a Jewish community in Bishopsgate and a few thousand black people – servants, musicians, and dancers. There were also many Huguenot and Flemish refugees. Southwark was London’s entertainment zone. There were theatres, surrounded by inns, taverns, cockpits, gambling houses and brothels . Partly because of the many crowds, Southwark was a dangerous place to wander about in after dark, with muggers, drunkards and pickpockets everywhere.The Southwark inns and taverns sold cheap ale, which people drank instead of water because at the time drinkable water was an expensive luxury. For the most part the rich drank imported wine, and the less well-off drank ale.

Audiences:

All sorts of people went to the theatre however it was generally men more than women. 

Rich noblemen became the patrons of the theatre companies, financially and legally supporting them but royalty also supported theatres. In the Elizabethan Era everyone was welcome to go to the theatre. It was one of the few entertainment activities that was affordable to pretty much all. Those who couldn't afford the most expensive seats would stand or take the cheaper seats. Even royalty went to
the theatre although they didn't go to public theatres.

The Globe is the theatre most commonly associated with the performance of Shakespeare’s plays. It was established in 1599 on the south bank of the Thames and it became their main performance space until it was destroyed by a fire on June 1613.

Theatre was so popular mostly because it was so inexpensive you could buy a seat for as little as a penny which is the amount of money that could buy you a loaf of bread. The more expensive seats were only 5 pennies more and at 6 pennies you still wouldn't be paying too much. By 1600, London’s theatre-goers numbered 20,000 per week.

From the years 1603 to 1613, Shakespeare’s own company played at King James' court roughly 15 times per year. Audiences could buy food and drink for a reasonable price during the performance for inexpensive prices.