Thursday, August 2, 2012

Theatre Thursday: The Closing of the Playhouses

The city of London from Southwark in Elizabethan times. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Between 1592-93, plague carried by fleas caused the deaths of about 12,000 Londoners. The playhouses closed down to prevent the spread of disease. Thespians had to tour the countryside, looking for work. To the excitement of the theatre-going English people, the theatre's re-opened in 1594.

The modern reconstruction of the famous Globe Theatre in London. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.