Shakespeare's Theatres

The plays of Shakespeare during his lifetime were performed on stages in private theatres, provincial theatres, and playhouses. His plays were acted out in the yards of bawdy inns and in the great halls of the London inns of court. Although the Globe is certainly the most well known of all the Renaissance stages associated with Shakespeare and is rightfully the primary focus of discussion, a brief introduction to some of the other Elizabethan theatres of the time provides a more complete picture of the world in which Shakespeare lived and worked.

We can classify Elizabethan theatres into two main groups -- those within the London district and those located throughout the English countryside. The theatres within the London district can be further classified as playhouses, inn yards, and private theatres, as you will see in the articles.

 The Globe
 The Theatre
 The Curtain
 Newington Butts
 The Rose
 The Swan
 The Inn Yards
 Blackfriars Theatre
 The Royal Palaces

Related Articles

 Shakespeare's Audience in his Day
 Going to a Play in Shakespeare's London
 London's First Public Playhouse
 Shakespeare's Boss

 Shakespeare Hits the Big Time
 Theatre Closures Due to Disease
 Entertainment in Elizabethan England
 Shocking Elizabethan Drama
 The King's Men

 The Greatest Actor of Shakespeare's Day
 Edward Alleyn: Master of the Elizabethan Stage
 William Kempe: Shakespeare's Clown

 Daily Life in Shakespeare's London
 What did Shakespeare drink?
 What did Shakespeare look like?

 Shakespeare's Language
 Words Shakespeare Invented
 Reasons Behind Shakespeare's Influence
 Shakespeare's Blank Verse

 Play Chronology
 Shakespeare Characters A to Z
 Pronouncing Shakespearean Names
 Shakespeare's Metaphors and Similes
 How many plays did Shakespeare write?
 Shakespeare Quotations (by Play and Theme)
 The First Folio