Globe Theatre Closed
Interesting information about
the Globe Theatre Closed during the life and times of William Shakespeare and the Globe
Theatre of Elizabethan London, England
Globe Theatre Closed
There were various
occasions when the great Globe Theatre was closed. There
were terrible disasters which closed the globe theatre and
normal events during the everyday lives of Elizabethans. The
little known reasons why the Globe Theatre closed:
-
Religious
holidays such as Lent - in 1615 Burbage and Heminges had to
appear before the Privy Council on behalf of the Globe
theatre for playing in Lent
-
Bad weather -
the Globe Theatre was a summer venue and was closed during
the cold winter months
-
Closed on
Thursdays - Theatrical Performances proved to be so popular
that in 1591 the growing popularity of theatres led to a law
closing all theatres were closed on Thursdays so that the bull and bear
baiting industries would not be neglected
The flags were probably
displayed only during the hours of performance; and it should seem from
one of the old comedies that they were taken down in Lent, in which
time, during the early part of King James's reign, plays were not
allowed to be represented, though at a subsequent period this
prohibition was dispensed with by paying a fee to the Master of the
Revels.
Disasters which closed the Globe
Theatre - the Bubonic Plague
There were many terrible
disasters which closed the Globe theatre - the Bubonic Plague was the
most terrible of all. Frequent outbreaks started in 1563:
-
In 1603 the
Bubonic Plague again ravaged London killing over 33,000
people
-
The Bubonic Plague
struck London in 1608 and the Globe Theatre was closed again
The impact of Globe Theatre
closure must have been catastrophic for the actors and the the threat of
catching the Bubonic Plague was terrifying. There would have been no
money coming into the theatre companies. It would not have been certain
when it would be safe for the Globe Theatre to re-open. Most of the
Actors, including William Shakespeare, fled to the country during the
outbreaks of the Bubonic plague.
Disasters which closed the Globe
Theatre - the Bubonic Plague
The next disaster which
closed the Globe theatre was the fire of 1613. The Globe theatre fire accident
occurred
on 29 June 1613 and the
original Globe burned to the ground. The facts surrounding the fire
disaster are as follows:
-
The Globe Theatre Fire
occurred during a performance of
a new play
called All is True ( perhaps this play was re-named Henry
VIII and credited to William Shakespeare in the First Folio
)
-
Cannons
were being shot off at the point in the play which describes
the entry of King Henry attending a Masque at Cardinal
Wolsey's house
-
The Globe
Theatre burned to the ground in less than two hours
-
There
were no deaths or serious injuries
-
The Globe Theatre was rebuilt in 1614
Disasters which closed the Globe
Theatre - the Puritans
The Puritans had been the
source of many problems within the early English theatre. The first
Globe Theatre was built due to the refusal of a puritan called Giles
Allen to renew the lease of the 'Theatre'. The Puritans gained
additional power and support during the early 1600's. In 1642, under the
force of the Puritans, the English Parliament issued an ordinance
suppressing all stage plays in the theatres. The strict religious views
of the Puritans spread to encompass many social activities within
England including the activities in the Globe theatre. The following
timeline outlines the rise and fall of the Puritans and the ultimate
closure of the Globe Theatre:
1642 The English Civil War beaks out between the Parliamentarians (Puritans) and the Royalists
1642
The Puritan Parliament issued an ordinance suppressing all stage plays
1644 The Globe Theatre
is demolished by the Puritans.
On 15th April 1644- Landowner Sir Matthew Brend
demolishes the Globe Theatre and builds tenement houses
on the site
1644 Landowner Sir Matthew Brend
demolishes the Globe Theatre and builds tenement houses
on the site
1660 The Restoration, and the demise in the power of the Puritans, sees the opening of the theatres
again. But the Globe Theatre is never re-built -
until many hundreds of years later
Globe Theatre Closed
Interesting Facts and information
about the Globe Theatre Closed.
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