History of british theatre

РЕФЕРАТ


Курсовая работа: 35 страниц, 5 приложений, 20 источников

Key words: theatre, drama, playhouse, comedy, dramatists, West End

Object: theatre world of Great Britain

Subject: British theatre activity throughout the centuries

Methods of research: study and analysis of literature on the questions of British theatre history; study of web-resources with the object of learning about the contemporary state of theatres in UK

Purpose: to study the main aspects of the stages of development of the theatre, understand its role and direction in the modern society of the United Kingdom

Objectives: to study the major steps in the growth of British drama influence; to describe main aspects of its work; to find out the role it plays nowadays, its cultural and social meaning in the life of the country

Results: the history of the British theatre and its development have been described; main directions of its activity have been discovered; the state of drama nowadays has been revealed

Recommendations: the results of the research can be used in British Studies

CONTENTS


Introduction

1. HISTORY OF BRITISH THEATRE

1.1Early British theatres

.2Elizabethan theatre

.3 British theatre of the 19th century

.4 Modern British theatre

. FAMOUS PEOPLE OF THE BRITISH THEATRE THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

history of British theatre has a very rich and fascinating history. Its birth belongs to ancient times and since that time it has undergone essential transformations, it shone with popularity and recognition as well as it suffered hard times. Nevertheless theatre in Great Britain makes an integral part of its great history and cultural heritage of the past centuries. was introduced to England from Europe by the Romans, and auditoriums were constructed across the country for this purpose. By the medieval period, the mummers' plays had developed, a form of early street theatre associated with the Morris dance, concentrating on themes such as Saint George and the Dragon and Robin Hood. These were folk tales re-telling old stories, and the actors travelled from town to town performing these for their audiences in return for money and hospitality. The medieval mystery plays and morality plays, which dealt with Christian themes, were performed at religious festivals. The period known as the English Renaissance, approximately 1500-1660, saw a flowering of the drama and all the arts. During the reign of Elizabeth I in the late 16th and early 17th century, a London-centered culture that was both courtly and popular produced great poetry and drama. Perhaps the most famous playwright in the world, William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon, wrote plays that are still performed in theatres across the world to this day. He was himself an actor and deeply involved in the running of the theatre company that performed his plays. Other important playwrights of this period include Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and John Webster. Various types of plays were popular. The three types that seem most often studied today are the histories, the comedies, and the tragedies. Most playwrights tended to specialize in one or another of these, but Shakespeare is remarkable in that he produced all three types. His 38 plays include tragedies such as Hamlet (1603), Othello (1604), and King Lear (1605); comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream (1594-96) and Twelfth Night (1602); and history plays such as Henry IV. Some have hypothesized that the English Renaissance paved the way for the sudden dominance of drama in English society, arguing that the questioning mode popular during this time was best served by the competing characters in the plays of the Elizabethan dramatists.

During the Interregnum 1649-1660, English theatres were kept closed by the Puritans <#"center">1. HISTORY OF BRITISH THEATRE


.1 Early British theatres


The dawn of the English drama. In the dramas of Greece and Rome the unities of action, time, and place controlled the unfolding of plot. There was one main action to which every minor part must contribute; the incidents of the play should naturally happen within twenty-four hours; and the entire action should occur, naturally, in one place. These rules of the ancient drama are known as "the dramatic unities." The early play-writers of other European countries were limited by these rules; but to Spain and England belongs the distinction of creating new types of dramatic literature. From the first, nearly all English dramatists ignored the unities. In representing character and passion their succeeding scenes transplanted one over impracticable distances, their time might include a long life, and subordinate parts of a play were unified only by the author's method of delineating passion or character.

The miracle plays and mysteries The dawning of the English dramatic literature can be traced to a period soon after the Norman Conquest, when the Church began to popularize in England the mysteries with which she supplanted the Roman mimes. To these the names of Miracle plays and Mysteries were indiscriminately given in England. The earliest "miracle" of English record is the Play of Saint Catherine. It was represented at Dunstable about 1110, was written in French, and was in all probability a rude representation of the miracles and martyrdom of the saint. These performances were encouraged by the clergy, since they gave religious instruction to the people and strengthened the influence of the Church. At first the plays were composed and acted by monks, and were performed in the cathedral close. The ecclesiastical stage was a platform in three divisions, representing Heaven, Earth, and Hell rising one over the other. The costumes were furnished from the vestry of the church. The dramatists boldly exhibited supernatural beings, angels, devils, saints, martyrs, even the persons of the Trinity. It was necessary that some comic element should be introduced to enliven the graver scenes; and this was supplied by representing the wicked personages of the drama placed in ludicrous situations. The Devil usually played the part of the clown or jester, and was exhibited in a light half terrific and half farcical. The modern puppet-play of Punch is a reminiscence of these ancient miracles, in which the Evil One was alternately the conqueror and the victim of the human buffoon, jester, or vice, as he was called. The times did not condemn the use of vulgar or profane language, or scenes [1, p. 45].idea of those religious dramas may be formed from their titles. The Creation of the World, the Fall of man, the story of Cain and Abel, the Crucifixion of Our Lord, the Massacre of the Innocents, The Play of the Blessed Sacrament, the Deluge, are in the list, besides an infinite multitude of subjects taken from the lives and miracles of the saints. The plays though abounding in absurdities, contain passages of simple and natural pathos, and scenes of genuine humor. In the Deluge, a comic scene is produced by the refusal of Noah's wife to enter the Ark, and by the beating which terminates her noisy resistance; while, on the other hand, a Mystery entitled the Sacrifice of Isaac contains a pathetic dialogue between Abraham and his son. The oldest manuscript of a Miracle play in English is that of the Harrowing of Hell, i.e., the conquering of Hell by Christ, believed to have been written about 1350.curious revival of these Miracles or Passion plays began in 1633 at Ammergau, near the southern frontier of Bavaria, and is continued till the present time. It is notable in keeping both the reverence and the dramatic skill of the devoutest age of such representations.

The moralities. The Miracle plays and Mysteries continued to be popular from the eleventh to the end of the fourteenth century, when they were supplanted by the Moralities. These new dramas were simply an adaptation to dramatic use of the allegory which had been universally popular for two centuries [16, p.38]. The persons who figure in the Moralities are, Every Man, a general type of humanity; Lusty Juventus, who represents the follies and weakness of youth; Good Counsel, Repentance, Gluttony, Pride, Avarice, and the like. The Devil was retained, and his hard blows and scoldings with the Vice, furnished many "a fit of mirth." The oldest English Morality now extant is The Castle of Perseverance, which was written about 1450. It is a dramatic allegory of human life, representing the many conflicting influences that surround Man in his way through the world. Lusty Juventus contains a vivid and humorous picture of the extravagance and debauchery of a young heir surrounded by the Virtues and Vices, and ends with a demonstration of the misery which follows a departure from the path of virtue and religion [3, p.20].

The interludes. Springing from the Moralities, and making an approach to the regular drama, are the Interludes, much shorter in extent and more merry and farcical. Here typical personages are substituted for allegorical characters. They were generally played in the intervals of a festival, and were exceedingly popular. The most noted author of these merry pieces was John Heywood <#"justify"> Gammer Gurton's Needle is a composition of a more farcical order. The scene is laid in the humblest rustic life, and all the dramatis personae belong to the uneducated class. The principal action of the comedy is the sudden loss of a needle with which Gammer (Good Mother) Gurton has been mending a garment of her man Hodge, a loss comparatively serious when needles were rare and costly. The whole intrigue consists in the search instituted after this unfortunate little implement, which is at last discovered by Hodge himself, on suddenly sitting down, sticking in the garment which Gammer Gurton had been repairing [14, p.34]

The early English theatres. In the year 1576, under the powerful patronage of the Earl of Leicester, James Burbage built the first English theatre [Appendix A]. The venture proved so successful, that twelve theatres were soon furnishing entertainment to the citizens of London. Of these the most celebrated was "The Globe." It was so named because its sign bore the effigy of Atlas supporting the globe, with the motto, "Totus Mundus agit Histrionem." Many of the early London theatres were on the southern or Surrey bank of the Thames, out of the jurisdiction of the City, whose officers and magistrates, under the influence of Puritanism, carried on a constant war against the players and the play-houses. Some of these theatres were cock-pits (the name of "the pit" still suggesting that fact); some were arenas for bull-baiting and bear-baiting. Compared with the magnificent theatres of the present day, all were poor and squalid, retaining in their form and arrangements many traces of the old model -- the inn-yard. Most of them were entirely uncovered, except for a thatched roof over the stage which protected the actors and privileged spectators from the weather. The audience was exposed to sunshine and to storm. Plays were acted only in the daytime. The boxes, or "rooms," as they were styled, were arranged nearly as in the present day; but the musicians, instead of being placed in the orchestra, were in a lofty gallery over the stage.early English theatres there was a total absence of painted or movable scenery, and the parts for women were performed by men or boys, actresses being as yet unknown. A few screens of cloth or tapestry gave the actors the opportunity of making their exits and entrances; a placard, bearing the name of Rome, Athens, London, or Florence, as the case might be, indicated to the audience the scene of the action. Certain typical articles of furniture were used. A bed on the stage suggested a bedroom; a table covered with tankards, a tavern; a gilded chair surmounted by a canopy, and called "a state," a palace; an altar, a church; and so on. A permanent wooden structure like a scaffold, erected at the back of the stage, represented objects according to the requirements of the piece, such as the wall of a castle or a besieged city, the outside of a house, or a position enabling one of the actors to overhear others without being seen himself.poverty of the theatre was among the conditions of excellence which stimulated the Elizabethan dramatist. He could not depend upon the painter of scenes for interpretation of the play, and therefore was constrained to make his thought vigorous and his language vivid. The performance began early in the afternoon, and was announced by flourishes of a trumpet. Black drapery hung around the stage was the symbol of tragedy; and rushes strewn on the stage enabled the best patrons of the company to sit upon the floor. Dancing and singing took place between the acts; and, as a rule, a comic ballad, sung by a clown with accompaniment of tabor and pipe and farcical dancing closed the entertainment.the social discredit attached to the actor, the drama reached some popularity, and the profession was so lucrative, that it soon became the common resort of literary genius in search of employment. This department of our literature passed from infancy to maturity in a single generation. Twenty years after the appearance of the first rude tragedy, the English theatre entered upon a period of splendor without parallel in the literature of any other country. This was mainly the work of a small band of poets, whose careers began at about the same time. This sudden development of the drama was largely due to the pecuniary success of the new and popular amusement. The generous compensation for such literary work tempted authors to write dramas.


1.2 Elizabethan theatre


Elizabethan playhouses, actors, and audiences. The theatre as a public amusement was an innovation in the social life of the Elizabethans, and it immediately took the general fancy. Like that of Greece or Spain, it developed with amazing rapidity. London's first theatre was built when Shakespeare was about twelve years old; and the whole system of the Elizabethan theatrical world came into being during his lifetime. The great popularity of plays of all sorts led to the building of playhouses both public and private, to the organization of innumerable companies of players both amateur and professional, and to countless difficulties connected with the authorship and licensing of plays. Companies of actors were kept at the big baronial estates of Lord Oxford, Lord Buckingham and others. Many strolling troupes went about the country playing wherever they could find welcome. They commonly consisted of three, or at most four men and a boy, the latter to take the women's parts. They gave their plays in pageants, in the open squares of the town, in the halls of noblemen and other gentry, or in the courtyards of inns.

Regulation and licensing of plays. The control of these various companies soon became a problem to the community. Some of the troupes, which had the impudence to call themselves "Servants" of this or that lord, were composed of low characters, little better than vagabonds, causing much trouble to worthy citizens. The sovereign attempted to regulate matters by granting licenses to the aristocracy for the maintenance of troupes of players, who might at any time be required to show their credentials. For a time it was also a rule that these performers should appear only in the halls of their patrons; but this requirement, together with many other regulations, was constantly ignored. The playwrights of both the Roman and the Protestant faith uses the stage as a sort of forum for the dissemination of their opinions; and it was natural that such practices should often result in quarrels and disturbances. During the reign of Mary, the rules were strict, especially those relating to the production of such plays as The Four P's, on the ground that they encouraged too much freedom of thought and criticism of public affairs. On the other hand, during this period the performance of the mysteries was urged, as being one of the means of teaching true religion.

Elizabeth granted the first royal patent to the Servants of the Earl of Leicester in 1574. These "Servants" were James Burbage <#"justify">List unto my ditty!, the more the pity,Troynovant's old cityAldermen and Mayordriven each poor player.

This banishment was not a misfortune, but one of the causes of immediate growth. There was room for as many theatres as the people desired; a healthy rivalry was possible. In Shoreditch were built the Theatre and the Curtain. At Blackfriars the Servants of Lord Leicester had their house, modeled roughly after the courtyard of an inn, and built of wood. Twenty years later it was rebuilt by a company which numbered Shakespeare among its members. In the meantime, the professional actor gained something in the public esteem, and occasionally became a recognized and solid member of society. Theatrical companies were gradually transformed from irregular associations of men dependent on the favor of a lord, to stable business organizations; and in time the professional actor and the organized company triumphed completely over the stroller and the amateur [6, pp. 207-213].

Playhouses and performances. The number of playhouses steadily increased. Besides the three already mentioned, there were in Southwark the Hope, the Rose, the Swan, and Newington Butts, on whose stage The Jew of Malta, the first Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, and Tamburlaine had their premieres. At the Red Bull some of John Heywood <#"center">1.3 British theatre of the 19th century


Nature of Restoration comedy. Restoration comedy refers to English comedies <#"center">1.4 Modern British theatre


The new theatre: the influence of Ibsen and Shaw. There was another kind of theatre developing whose relative lack of popularity at the time belied its significance. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsens play Ghosts came to London in 1888 and scandalized critics and public alike [11, pp. 34-45]

The theme of the play - syphilis - struck at the heart o the revered institution of the family and the brooding seriousness of the tone was at the opposite extreme to the entertainment that the conventional theatregoers expected. A Dolls House (1879) put the central dilemmas of womens freedom in a stifling and corrupt bourgeois setting. Ibsens plays represented the beginnings of modern European drama. His influence in establishing a serious drama based on moral and social issues hung over what has been called the minority theatre represented by the playwrights who did not write for the audiences of the popular West End theatres. He had completely rewritten the rules of drama with realism <#"1" height="1" src="doc_zip1.jpg" />

At the same time, commercial theatre advanced full force, manifesting itself in the development of vastly popular forms of drama such as major musicals beginning with Ziegfield's Follies and developing into full-blown musical plays such as Oklahoma!, Porgy and Bess, and Showboat. Ever greater technological advances permitted spectacular shows such as The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon to offer competition to another new innovation: film. Ultimately, the cost of producing major shows such as these, combined with the organization of actors and technical persons in theatre, have limited what a theatre can do in competing with Hollywood.

Serious drama also advanced in the works of Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) in his trilogy Mourning Becomes Electra and in The Iceman Cometh; Arthur Miller (1915- ), in The Crucible and Death of a Salesman; and Tennessee Williams (1911-1983), whose Glass Menagerie, produced immediately after World War II, arguably changed the manner in which tragic drama is presented. Serious drama was accompanied by serious acting in the form of the Actor's Studio, founded in 1947 by Elia Kazan and others, later including Lee Strasberg. The art of writing comedy was brought to a level of near-perfection (and commercial success) by Neil Simon (1927- ), whose plays such as Rumors, The Odd Couple, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue, are among the favorites for production by community theatres <#"justify">In 1956, the Royal Court Theatre was taken over by the newly formed English Stage Company, under the artistic directorship of George Devine. Initially formed to promote new and experimental drama, the company soon established itself as the determinant of English dramatic developments. The Court's production of John Osborne's "Look Back in Anger"(1956) has been held generally to mark a watershed in postwar British theatre. Jimmy Porter, Osborne's working-class antihero, expresses a social rage and disillusionment that immediately identified the spirit of the "Angry Young Men". The phrase was originally coined by the Royal Court Theatre's press officer to promote John Osborne's scandalous play and It was destined to define a group of mostly working and middle class British playwrights and novelists who became prominent in the 1950s. Their political views were usually seen as identifying with the left, sometimes anarchistic, and they described social alienation of different kinds. They also often expressed their critical views on society as a whole, criticizing certain behaviors or groups in various ways [19, p. 87-88].enshrined in theatre history for causing a watershed in British theatre with "Look Back in Anger"(1956), John Osborne was to make history again as the author of a "Patriot for Me"(1965) at the Royal Court. The play's depiction of a homosexual sex scene and a transvestites' ball aroused the authorities' ire as expected. To avoid any restrictions, the director of the playhouse, George Devine turned a Court into a club theatre and the performance went ahead. This was a turning point in a battle against censorship

The 1970's. The end of censorship gave playwrights and directors a new freedom [2, p.89]. Sex, swearing and less-than-flattering representations of the monarchy, the government and their political allies became the order of the day as a new generation of middle- and working-class writers and actors tried to express the contemporary living experience. Women were given a significant and sustained voice on the stage for the first time since the Restoration, exploring the boundaries of gender and sexuality in "Cloud Nine"(1979)the late 1970's and the following two decades British theatre became far more inclusive. Female dramatists took a prominent role in theatre, and a great number of regional, multiethnic, and lesbian and gay theatre groups were established. New forms of cultural creativity gave voice to formerly silent sections of society. However in the late 1980's such groups resulted in funding cuts. It happened because of acceptance of Margaret Thatcher's government's legislated Clause 78, which limited discussion of homosexuality in the arts and education

Black theatre. The term Black theatre is used to a dramatic movement encompassing plays written by, for, and about ethnic minorities. New black theatre companies of the 1970's and 1980's included Carib, Temba, and the Black Theatre Co-operative. Temba presented new plays such as "Back Street Mommy"(1989) by Trish Cooke, portraying adolescent pregnancy, and "The Pirate Princess"(1981) by Barbara Gloudon, with Jamaican pantomime [20, p. 24]. There was directed a number of successful productions. Black theatre in Britain began to achieve recognition in the mid-1980's with the establishment of the Talawa Theatre, founded in 1985 by Yvonne Brewster, Mona Hammond and Carmen Munroe. The most notable and successful contemporary plays suggest the future direction of British theatre in the new millennium. Contemporary fine plays represent a progressive spirit of inclusion and cultural and historical reconciliation that moves past trends forward and gives hope for the continued development of British theatre.

British theatre today. There are several thousands of amateur dramatic societies in Britain (some 200 amateur youth theatres among them). Most Universities have active amateur drama clubs and societies. People throughout Great Britain participate in amateur theatre as performers, crew or audience members and many children first experience live theatre during local amateur performances of the annual Christmas pantomime. Amateur theatre can sometimes be a springboard for the development of new performing talent

The centre of theatrical activity in Britain is London. There are some 48 principal theatres in or near the West End and some 8 in the suburbs. Most of the theatres are let to producing managements on a commercial basis but some are occupied by important subsided companies, including the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Companies. The former stages classical and modem plays from all countries; the latter presents Shakespearean plays in Stratford-upon-Avon and a mixed repertoire in London. Many non-repertoire theatres outside London present all kinds of drama and many also put on variety shows and other entertainment.

London's vibrant West End theatre scene. London's legendary West End Theatre scene, the finest in the world. With numerous celebrities making their way across the ocean to embrace London's theatre crowd and to complement their acting profiles. Though New York's Broadway may have all the flamboyant decorations, the West End theatre scene has become increasingly vibrant in the past years. With shows such as; 'The Jerry Springer Musical', 'Daddy Cool' and 'Billy Elliot' just to mention a few. All drawing in hordes of theatre goers from all over the world, and attracting the non-theatre crowds in addition [9, pp. 47-48].the West End has something for everyone; no longer is it associated with the aristocratic upper class, but a sanctuary for all types of people seeking no more than a thrilling production and electrifying performances by the old and new actors of today. Even more than New York, London is the theatre capital of the world. The number and array of productions, the standards of acting and world renowned directors have gone unrivalled in the world. London's West End theatre scene plays host to both the traditional and the avant-garde. Importantly London's Theatre scene is accessible and very reasonably priced. The West End has just welcomed the new Globe Theatre, which has become another exciting addition to the already amazing theatre district. The world's longest running production is 'The Mousetrap' by Agatha Christie, the play has been running for 54 years and is still going strong drawing in crowds from afar. Some of the West End's most famous productions are 'Les Miserables', 'The Phantom of the Opera', 'Blood Brothers', 'The Woman In Black', 'Chicago', 'The Lion King' and 'Stomp'.

The term West End theatre is a popular expression for mainstream professional theatre in London. It is considered to correspond to the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world. Catching a West End production is a very prevalent tourist activity in London, which surpassed 12 million visitors in 2002 and since has increased every year.

2. FAMOUS PEOPLE OF THE BRITISH THEATRE THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES


Christopher Marlowe (1564 - 1593). Born the same year as Shakespeare <#"justify">Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway in 1582, when he was 18; she was 26, eight years his senior. The exact wedding date is uncertain, but the marriage certificate was issued on November 27,1582. Anne was the daughter of a respected yeoman farmer. William and Anne had their first child, Susanna, in May of 1583. This was followed by the birth of twins, Hamnet and Judith, in January of 1585. Most historians believe that Shakespeare was not often around his family in Stratford after that because historical records show him in London during the following years [17, pp. 54-72].first written reference to Shakespeare's existence in London occurred in 1592, when Shakespeare was in his late twenties. He seems to have been fairly well established in the theatre by that point, since the reference, written by another playwright, hints of jealousy at Shakespeare's success. With his two patrons, the Earls of South Hampton and Pembrooke, Shakespeare rose quickly in the theatre as both an actor and an author. He joined the Lord Chamberlin's Men, an acting company which was protected by the Queen, becoming a shareholder and senior member in 1595. Because of his success in London, he was able to purchase New Place, the largest and most elegant house in his home town of Stratford, when he was in his early thirties (1597). In addition to his popularity as both an actor and playwright, Shakespeare became joint owner of the famous Globe theatre when it opened in 1599. His share of the company's management added heavily to his wealth. Shakespeare's financial success in the London theatre enabled him to retire and return to his home in Stratford around 1610. He lived there comfortably until his death on April 23, 1616 (it is popularly believed that he died on his birthday). He is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Aphra Behn (1640-1689). Aphra Behn was an English dramatist, poetess, and novel writer, highly popular in the reign of Charles II, when nothing could exceed the licentiousness of the public stage, but the licentiousness of private manners.

She was born in the reign of Charles I., but the year is not known, and, as is stated, of a good family in Canterbury, of the name Johnson. While she was yet very young, her father was appointed governor of Surinam, but he died on the voyage out, leaving behind him a large family who were with him on the way to the West Indies. They proceeded on their expedition, and resided at Surinam for some years, where Aphra Johnson became intimately acquainted with prince Oroonoko, whose history she afterwards molded into the novel that Southern used in writing his tragedy of that name. In Surinam she lost several other relations, and returned to London, where her beauty and abilities procured her a husband in Mr. Behn, an English merchant of a Dutch family. Not long afterwards (her husband, probably, having died in the interval) it is asserted that she was employed by the court of England, at the instance, it would seem, of Charles II himself, to proceed to the Low Countries, in order to procure and transmit information as to the designs of the Dutch. She went to Antwerp, and there formed, or renewed, an acquaintance with a person of influence and information, named Vander Albert, who let her into the secret of the intention of the Dutch, under de Witt and de Ruyter, to sail up the Thames and burn the English ships at Chatham. This is broadly stated in the Memoirs of Mrs. Behn, but it seems very doubtful, as unquestionably the intelligence that she is reported to have sent over was not credited in London. It looks like an endeavor to give importance to Mrs. Behn's character after the attempt had been made by the Dutch, and to cast an imputation upon the English government for not availing itself of her information.

She continued to reside for some time in Antwerp, and is said to have entered all the gaieties and gallantries of the city. Why she returned to England does not appear; but sailing from Dunkirk she was wrecked on our coast, and was only saved by boats from the shore. At this period she could not have been much more than twenty-three or twenty-four years old, and it seems probable that during the rest of her life she was mainly indebted to her pen for support. That she was a woman of beauty and gallantry cannot be doubted; and it is asserted, with some appearance of truth, that she devoted herself much to the pleasures of the town. Two of her plays were printed in 1671, The Amorous Prince and The Forced Marriage; and between that year and 1687, she produced no fewer than thirteen other comedies or tragi-comedies, and one tragedy, entitled Abdelazar, which made its appearance in 1677. It is founded upon the old play, long falsely attributed to Marlowe <#"justify">Shaw was the son of a financially impractical father and a remarkable mother whose musical talent not only helped out the family income but provided young George with an excellent musical background. In his regular schooling which ended when he was fifteen, Shaw was generally near the bottom of the class [15, pp. 38-46]. When Shaw was fifteen, a friend secured him a position in the office of a Dublin land agent where he endured the drudgery of routine and figures for five years. At twenty he followed his mother to London where she had set up as a music teacher and joined the ranks of unpublished novelists with five novels that nobody would buy. During the first nine years of his London sojourn, Shaw's literary efforts brought him something like £30 and an ardent interest in the socialistic theories that fill most of his subsequent plays [7, pp. 90-105].was first acted on the stage of the Royalty Theatre, London, in 1892, but created not even a little ripple. He continued his efforts with Widower's Houses and Mrs. Warren's Profession which latter play was refused London production by the censor. His first success came when, on September 17, 1894, Arms and the Man, a strictly realistic comedy was presented by Richard Mansfield at the Herald Square Theatre, New York. From that point on, Shaw's rise to popularity, both on the American and world stages, was steady and swift. He was not, however, conclusively accepted in the English theatre until 1904.

Candida written in 1894 won a decisive success on the German stage with Frau Edith Sorma. London would have none of it, and in America Richard Mansfield lacked the courage to produce it even after he had gone so far as to put it into rehearsal. It was left for Arnold Daly to make theatrical history with his production of Candida in the season of 1903-4, thus marking the real beginning of the Shaw vogue. Man and Superman <#"center">CONCLUSION


The purpose of this research term paper was to define the main characteristics of the development of the British theatre. I tried to tell of the many aspects and stages of the professional evolution of the theatre beginning from the very first trivial stage plays and up to modern most experimental projects.work depicts the British theatre history as its an essential moment in understanding its role in the history o the United Kingdom. Great Britain has always been associated with certain things characterizing the country and the character of its people. Just think about tea, umbrellas, Big Ben, red telephone booths and other symbolic things. Famous British theatre stage may be included in this list as well for it perfectly reflects all the historical steps the country has undergone. More than that theatre is a great art dealing with living beings and their energy. Paintings are fixed impressions and thoughts, music may be recorded and copied and theatre is absolutely different art. One will never see a play performed twice in the same manner, because stage and its servers are living creatures.the centuries theatre has been the place of the outburst of peoples most strong ideas and social protests. Unsuccessful monarchs would be laughed at, revolutionary ideas would be acted out, strong patriotic calls would go into masses and it moved people forward. Times went by and so new tendencies appeared till it came to nowadays. Its no secret that from the 20th century on times werent easy. Many questions turned up such as Nazism, racism, feminism, homosexuality as well as public attitude towards it and many others. Their appearance gave soil for new genres and new authors who werent afraid of bringing painful problems to public vision. British theatre continues to develop and brings its audience many surprises. I tried my best to collect the most useful information and analyze it in order to make the theme clear. I also hope that my work will be useful for those who are interested in British culture and its origin and for those who will take up a course of British studies.

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Toril, M. Henrik Ibsen and the Birth of Modernism: Art, Theatre, Philosophy / M. Toril. - Oxford and New York: Oxford UP, 2006. p. 87-88

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphra_Behn> Walters, M. Feminism: A very short introduction / M. Walters. - London: Oxford University, 2005. p. 24


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