Theatre has been around for what seems like forever or at least as far back as we can track

society that is. The word theatre itself means a place for seeing, usually a building where a
dramatic performance is given but theatre is so much more than that. Theatre is more than just a
building, it is the telling of stories and putting on a show. It is turning a group of people into an
audience and bringing them together through performing arts. 

Photo credit: Dominique Landau

When you think of the historical roots of theatre it is often thought upon to go straight to Ancient
Greece and its amphitheatres which you would be right so in doing as it’s the first recorded
theatre in Europe dating back to 600 B.C. but that would be putting theatre into a box and it’s far
too big for that. Arguably, theatre can be dated back all the way to 8500 B.C. considering tribal
dance and religious rituals. Theatre, depending on how you define it, goes hand in hand with
society as it has always been a part of life to express and perform in some way or other. 

Whilst theatre has always been a part of human culture in one form or another, for example the
Ancient Egyptians so great signs of being very involved in theatre and performance, but many
believe that it was in fact the Ancient Greeks who formed how we think of theatre today, despite
its beginnings dating back over 2500 years. The records state it began with a religious festival,
much like the history before them, in which they honoured the god Dionysus (God of wine and
fertility). The Dionysians developed the more structured form of drama that we are influenced by
today; by dancing and singing. 

A lot of the influences from the Greeks are still around today, such as the masks they used to
show emotion and character, which are often used as a symbol of theatre. These masks were
introduced by Thespis himself, a poet who won a dramatic play competition, and whom actors
today are often named after: thespians. Tragedies were their forte, and told of Greek myths,
many of them performed and interpreted to this day. The Romans too, were inspired by the
Greek theatre, and much like everything else changed it to suit them. They wrote Greek plays in
Latin and preferred comedies. Roman theatre had a lot of competition, what with it being 300
B.C. and the interesting public executions that were occurring, so from this came the need to be
grander and bolder. Thus the creation of vast and impressive public theatres of which over the
next two centuries, the Roman’s built approximately 125 of. 

Despite the protests of the theatre that Christians brought, shutting down theatres and fighting,
theatre eventually rose again with religious plays, once again (although it took them a good 1000
years to get back on track). Theatre expanded across the world, professional actors eventually
making a comeback and theatres opening everywhere, slowly but surely commencing onwards. 

The 1500’s in England are what shaped a lot of our theatre today, what with Shakespeare on the
scene and the birth of Globe Theatre. With all the greats that Shakespeare has given us though,
theatre didn’t go on without its hiccups and hurdles, closing and reopening, women being
allowed to perform, the middle class dominating as the audiences and not to mention the new
styles that were introduced whether in the play itself or the costumes and sets. 
Theatre has and is influenced by history and the history of theatre. All that has happened in its
history of getting here and surviving its turmoil’s has made it what it is. Now it is a bigger part of
our culture than ever, thanks to all that came before it, and is more accessible than before.
Hopefully, it will continue to grow and develop; and surely it will always be around. 

Theatre History Timeline

Primitive (?-600 BC)

Very little is known about primitive theatre other than it was most likely used to re-enact
hunts. It might have then evolved from after a hunt, to before a hunt and became a ritual
to bring good luck.

Greek/Roman (600 BC - 600 AD)

Tragedy, comedy, and satyr play all emerged from the Greek city of Athens. The drama
masks are an iconic convention of classic Greek theatre. Roman theatre is very similar
to Greek theatre. Two genres, drama and comedy, were prominent in the Roman
empire. The Roman stage was laid out like the Greek theatre where you had a
backstage area, a place for the audience, and an orchestra.

Significant playwrights include: Plautus, Seneca, Lucius Accius

Medieval (925 AD - 1537 AD)

Medieval theatre began by churches trying to explain new religions to the illiterate
population. They began staging dramatizations of biblical events on certain days of the
year. The four main types of plays in this time period were mummers plays, mystery
plays, morality plays, and miracle plays.

Significant playwrights include: Hrosvitha, Suckling, Adam de la Halle

Renaissance (1537 AD - 1660 AD)

The first permanent theatre, the Red Lion, opened in 1567, and soon, many others
followed for example, The Theatre. The drama genre became a huge phenomenon in
England. The theatres were generally built from plaster and timber, and were three
stories tall. Many theatres were closed during the time of the plague.

Significant playwrights include: William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson

Restoration (1660 AD - 1750 AD)

Restoration theatre speaks of English comedies produced during that time period. Many
of the performers who were on stage during this time became the first celebrities. The
decline of comedy was due to two theatre companies converging, bringing a decline to
the amount of comedies being written.

Significant playwrites include: George Etherege, William Wycherly, William Congreve

Romanticism (1750 AD – 1850 AD)

Napoleon led Europe away from Rationalism, into Romanticism. It was sometimes
refered to as a return to the Middle Ages because of the return of the church. In the later
years of Romanticism theatre, the industrial revolution evolved the theatres because of
things such as gas lighting.

Significant playwrights include: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gotthold Ephraim

Lessing, Friedrich Schiller

Realism (1850 AD - 1875 AD)

Realism focused on everyday drama, normal speech, and normal settings. Realism
came around for three main reasons. One, August Comte developed a theory known as
Positivism. Two, Charles Darwin published the book called The Origin of Species.
Three, Karl Marx created a political philosophy against ubanization.

Significant playwrights include: Emile Augier, Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw
Modern (1875 AD - 1915 AD)

Modernism was a European movement that broke away from traditional forms of theatre
and arts. Modernism is often credited to the fallout World War 1.

Significant playwrights include: Edward Albee, Caryl Churchill, Lillian Hellman

Musical
Musical theatre is a form of modern theatre that incorporates songs and dance into
theatre. Many plays were aimed to urge racial harmony such as West Side Story.
Musicals are very similar to operas except for a few factors. Musicals have much more
spoken dialogue, and there is usually more dancing incorporated within the song
numbers.