THEATRE HISTORY TIMELINE

Dates / Period Key Styles Key Playwrights

600BC-600AD Greek Theatre Aeschylus: The Oresteia
Development of the classical genres of Comedy and Tragedy. Euripides: The Trojan Women, Medea
CLASSICAL
The philosopher Aristotle established the classical rules of tragedy Sophocles: Oedipus, Antigone
(unities of time, place and action). Aristotle identified the central Aristophanes: Lysistrata, The Frogs
purpose of theatre – to arouse strong emotions in its audience
(catharsis). Greek Tragedies were often based on explorations of
conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist. Masks were
used for characters. A group of narrators called the Chorus would
tell the story, comment on the actions taken by the protagonist as
well as engage in dialogue. Tragedies were in five acts. Plays
were written within a closed structure.

Aristotle considered Comedy to be inferior to Tragedy; comedies

were bawdy, frivolous, based on chance, fantasy & comic errors.
Provided an escape from the realities of life.

The Greeks also developed Satyr Plays –more informal, often

crude, with phallic imagery. The plays satirised or were parodies
of myths, legends, historical figures & tragedies. They combined
songs, dances & sketches and laid the basis for the later
development of Burlesque & Farce.

Roman Theatre
Particularly influenced by the Satyr plays. The Romans developed
new forms of theatre including Mime, Farce, and Spectacles
(including gladiator contests.) A model for Roman Tragedy was Plautus
developed by the theorist Seneca. Homer: The Odyssey
Ovid: Metamorphoses
600-1500 Liturgical Drama Anon: Everyman
Certain parts of the Catholic mass were enacted in church, Anon: The Mystery Cycles
MEDIEVAL
particularly in the Easter liturgy. These enactments were
developed in the monasteries and later spread to other churches.
The ‘plays’ were performed by the community. Three principal
forms of drama developed from this:

Mystery Plays based on episodes from the Bible.

Miracle Plays based on the lives of saints & martyrs
Morality Plays in which virtues like goodness & truth and
vices like greed & sloth became characters in simple ‘good
triumphs over evil’ stories. These became increasingly political &
appealed to the socially oppressed peasant class.
1500-1650 Revenge Tragedy Shakespeare: Hamlet, Titus
Plots involved murder, death, revenge. Plays often included Andronicus
RENAISSANCE
nightmare visions of ghosts. Complicated subplots. Unrequited or Tourneur: The Revenger’s Tragedy
unacceptable love. Gruesome actions. Sword fights. Poisons and Middleton/Rowley: The Changeling
potions. Madness. Marlowe: Doctor Faustus
Ford: Tis Pity She’s a Whore
1500-1650
Webster:The Duchess of Malfi
RENAISSANCE Elizabethan & Jacobean Comedy Shakespeare: MSND, Much Ado, 12th
Shakespeare’s comedies mix elements of farce, comedy of Night
continued…
manners, romantic comedy and black comedy. Jonson’s Jonson: Volpone
comedies were more Satirical, exposing the follies and vices of
society through the use of biting humour.

Commedia Dell’Arte Goldoni: A Servant to Two Masters

Began in C16th Italy. Used caricature half-masks for middle-class
and servant characters. Hero and Heroine were unmasked. Stock
Characters were placed in stock situations (scenarios). Ensemble
playing allowed for free improvisation around the roles &
situations. Depicted clashes between Masters & Servants. Used
physical humour known as Slapstick or Lazzi as well as acrobatic
& juggling skills to amuse the audience. Street Theatre.
1650-1700 Comedy of Manners Moliere: The Hypochondriac
Examined rules of the society of the time from a satirical Wycherley: The Country Wife
RESTORATION
standpoint. Portrayed and commented upon the affectations of the Goldsmith: She Stoops to Conquer
upper classes. Based on the wit & banter of the aristocratic class. Congreve: The Way of the World
Thrived in time of material prosperity and moral laxity. Satirised
Farquhar: The Recruiting Officer
the affected wit and self-importance of the minor aristocracy and a
world where everyone thought that to better oneself was merely a Behn: The Rover
question of speaking the right language and wearing the right Sheridan: The Rivals, School for
clothes. Uses a heightened form of language. Courtship and Scandal
Sexual attraction was an underlying theme. Plots were concerned
with scandals and illicit love affairs. Women were allowed onstage
for the first time. This became an excuse for raunchy and titlating
drama based on the manners of the court and featured
licentiousness, adultery and cuckoldry. In the later C18th, this
developed into Bourgeois Comedy which was targeted more at
the rising mercantile class. In more recent years, Oscar Wilde &
Noel Coward developed this into an intellectual form known as
High Comedy.
1700-1800 Burlesque / Ballad Opera Gay: The Beggars Opera
Uses caricature and distortion almost to a grotesque extent to
BAROQUE
mock society, particularly respected society figures. First used in
connection with Italian Opera in the C16th. Based on puns and
humour of low wit. Music used as parody. Ballad-operas were a
popular new drama which appealed to all classes. They parodied /
satirised the Italian operas which were popular at the time. They
mixed popular songs and melodies together with action-orientated
plots which often poked fun at the government & the
establishment.
1800-1850 Melodrama Anon: Maria Marten (The Red Barn)
Most popular form of theatre for the majority of the C19th. Light- Anon: Sweeney Todd
ROMANTICISM
hearted entertainment as a means of escapism. Plays revolved
around extremes of good & bad: characters were either heroes or
villains. Dealt with sensationalist stories. Gruesome crimes were
turned into theatre. Fast paced scenes with plenty of action. Used
cliff-hanger curtain scenes to heighten the audience’s emotional
response. Lack of subtlety in acting style. Large gestures and
grand voices. Plays were invariably quite short & presented as
1800-1850 part of an evening interspersed with other forms of entertainment,
such as Victorian Music Hall.
ROMANTICISM Romanticism Goethe: Faust
Reacted against the constraints of neo-classicism. Often base don Schiller: Mary Stuart
continued…
the representation of the heroic individual’s struggle to maintain
lofty ideals and values in an imperfect and corrupt world. Themes
included nature, the oppression of the poor, liberty and
nationalism. Often dealt with extreme experiences like suicide,
infanticide and incest.

20TH CENTURY & BEYOND

Styles Playwrights Significant Plays
Realism & Naturalism Ibsen Hedda Gabler, A Doll’s House
Originated in Europe as a challenge to the Chekov Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters
melodramatic forms of theatre that preceded Strindberg Miss Julie, The Father
it. Depicted ordinary lives in ordinary settings. Shaw Arms & the Man, Major Barbara
Used everyday speech rather than verse. Gorky The Lower Depths
Sought to offer the ‘illusion of reality’. Allowed Priestley An Inspector Calls
greater depth to characters; believed Leigh Two Thousand Years, Abigail’s Party
personality and actions were based on Cartwright Road, Two, The Rise & Fall of Little Voice
family, background and circumstance (based Ayckbourn Sisterly Feelings, Norman Conquests, Confusions
on Darwin’s theories of evolution.)
Concerned with political and social issues.
Fascination with class and the way the upper
classes could cover up the problems within
society. Reliance on dialogue rather than
action. Sets were highly detailed & very
realistic. Chekov developed Tragi-Comedy
which combined the funny with the sad,
absurd, terrifying & the pathetic.
Symbolism Pirandello Six Characters in Search of an Author
Challenged realism & naturalism. Believed Lorca Blood Wedding, Yerma, The House of Bernarda Alba
truth lay beyond mere appearances. Aimed Eliot Murder in the Cathedral
to reflect the mental or spiritual life. Strong on
atmosphere and effects, the influence of
supernatural powers and the occult. Non-
naturalistic scenery.
Expressionism Strindberg A Dream Play, Ghosts
Movement in literature & art which originated Buchner Woyzeck, Danton’s Death
in Germany before WW1 and ended in Wedekind Spring Awakening
1920s. Erratic & explosive. Tried to destroy (Stephenson) (The Memory of Water)
superficial ideas of reality and explore deeper
meanings underneath.
Surrealism Jarry Ubu Roi
Revised the definition of reality. Concerned Cocteau La Machine Infernale
itself with accounts of dreams, madness, the
subconscious and the non-rational.
Theatre of the Absurd Ionesco The Chairs, The Bald Prima Donna, The Lesson
Influenced by Camus: ‘the human situation is Beckett Waiting for Godot, Endgame
essentially absurd and devoid of purpose’. Genet The Maids
Also by the horrors of WW2. Characters Stoppard Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead
share a somewhat pessimistic view of the Sartre In Camera, Kean
world in which humans struggle with their
attempt to understand why they are here.
Man inhabits a universe whose meaning is
undecipherable. Structure is very loose.
Rarely any plot or any sense of time passing.
Non-linear. Language is disjointed; uses
puns & repetition. Conversations go around
in circles or are pure nonsense. Serious
underlying discussion at a metaphysical level
invariably to do with existence and death.
Technical elements use symbolism.
Pinteresque Storey Home
Amalgamates Realism with Theatre of the Pinter The Dumb Waiter, The Caretaker, The Birthday Party,
Absurd. Characters merely exist. No The Room, The Homecoming, Betrayal
explanation as to why things happen, or who
the characters are. Dialogue is simple &
sparse. Noted for the use of pause & subtext.
Generally features working class characters
& settings. Focuses on relationships.
Characters are seemingly unpleasant.
Epic Brecht The Good Woman of Setzuan, The Threepenny Opera
Primary aim was to use theatre as a means Durrenmatt The Visit
to induce an enquiring, critical, objective Wertenbaker Our Country’s Good
audience. Main focus was ‘telling a story’. Littlewood Oh What a Lovely War
Often used a Narrator. Projections used to
add commentary or to allow for modern or
historical parallels to be drawn. Puts a social
or political message before the exploration of
character. Often structured using montage
form. Non-linear plot. Each episode is self-
contained. Uses Direct Address, Songs &
Music. Usually involves a whole people’s
history, or many different characters, span
across decades of time and be set in a
number of places.
Political Theatre Brecht Mother Courage, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Arturo Ui
Emphasises a political issue(s) in its theme Brenton Plays for the Poor Theatre, Paul
or plot. Can also explore themes more McGrath The Cheviot, the stag and the black, black oil
universal and central to a society which Griffiths Comedians
defines itself as politically conscious. Deals Bond Saved, The Sea, Restoration
with contemporary social & political issues. Arden Sergeant Musgrave’s Dance, Live Like Pigs
Aims to impress political truths upon the
audience. Can sometimes be polemic, or
one-sided. Propaganda. Writers are often
politically committed.
Italian Political Theatre Fo Accidental Death of An Anarchist, Mistero Buffo,
Critical of the deeply religious Italian world, Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay, The Devil in Drag
with special vehemence for the position of
women in such a Catholic society. Frequently
censored & banned. Draws on traditions of
Commedia Dell’Arte – characters are
exaggerated, comic grotesques. Satirises the
bourgeoisie. Uses elements of Farce.
Sometimes uses a documentary style.
Docudrama / Verbatim Theatre Hare Permanent Way, Racing Demon
Used to describe plays based on fact. Soans Talking to Terrorists
Doesn’t normally distort or speculate the
facts. Depicts real events on stage, usually
narrated by representations of the original
participants. Text is created out of sources
and documents such as news reports,
autobiographies, interviews, photos etc.
Often includes narration & projection – real
documents & film footage. Major historical
and political figures are represented. It has a
political purpose. Editing process often
favours one viewpoint; audience are not left
entirely to make up their own minds.
Physical Theatre Berkoff The Trial, Metamorphosis, East, Greek, Decadence
Berkoff adapted the main elements of Frantic Ass. Rabbit
physical theatre & mime & combined them DV8 Enter Achilles, Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men.
with vocal exploration to produce his own Complicite The Street of Crocodiles, Mnemonic
style. Uses stylised, extreme physical work
where the outer image creates the inner soul
of a role. Shocking language and visual
images. Use of rhyme, rhythm & other poetic
conventions. Use of violence. Limited Set
and props. High energy levels.
Feminist Churchill Vinegar Tom, Cloud Nine, Top Girls
Central themes are the place & treatment of Townsend The Great Celestial Cow, Womberang
women in society. Other themes include Daniels Masterpieces
relationships, sisterhood, gender politics, Keatley My Mother Said I Never Should
anatomy, sexuality. The intention is usually to Dunn Steaming
promote a positive change for women. Ensler The Vagina Monologues
Sometimes uses historical figures & incidents O’Malley Once a Catholic
to comment on modern-day society. Plot is De Angelis Playhouse Creatures
often less important than content. Characters Page Tissue
learn by altering assumed perceptions.
In Yer Face Ravenhill Shopping & F***ing, Citizenship
Blatantly aggressive or provocative. Kane Cleansed, 4:48 Pychosis, Crave
Confrontational. Theatre of sensation. Uses Marber Closer, Dealers Choice
shock-tactics. Controversial. Confronts ruling Pritchard Yard Girl, Essex Girls
ideas of what can or should be shown on Eldridge Serving it Up
stage. Bold. Experimental. Mixes sex, Williams Local Boy, Sing Yer Heart our for the Lads
violence & street-poetry. Critique of modern- Harrower Blackbird
life, focusing on the problems of violence, the
questioning of masculinity, myth of post-
feminism & the futility of consumerism.
Irish Drama Synge Playboy of the Western World
At the end of the C.19th there was a rise in O’Casey The Plough & the Stars, Juno & The Paycock
Irish nationalism which began to inspire Irish McDonagh The Pillowman, Beauty Queen of Leenane
playwrights to investigate their background Friel Dancing at Lughnasa, Translations
as a Celtic nation and attempt to make some McPherson The Weir
sense of the violent political and social Behan The Hostage
upheaval. This became the focus of Irish
drama from that point on. Since then, Irish
drama has divided itself into two camps:
plays that focus on the rural traditions of
Ireland and plays that focus on the political
uprisings & conflicts. Often makes poetic use
of language. Examines the power of religion.
Focuses on recent history & nationalism.
Kitchen Sink Osborne Look Back in Anger, The Entertainer
Many plays in England before the 1950s had Wesker Roots, Chips with Everything
been concerned with the middle and upper Delaney A Taste of Honey
classes. In 1956, Osborne wrote a play that
changed this situation. ‘Look Back in Anger’
took working class men for its leading
characters and was set in a working class
environment. Plays generally expressed
dissatisfaction with the socio-political order of
the time, and were outspoken against the
class system. The style was term domestic
realism. Plays used the language of the
working class. Atmospheres were grim, grey.
Black Comedy Orton Loot, Entertaining Mr Sloane
Often based on farce but deals with grim Nicholls A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
situations & themes, and makes a mockery of
them. It finds comedy in things that many
people would find inappropriate, but allows
an audience to laugh at their fears.
Characters & Situations are often
exaggerated beyond the level of usual satire
until they become grotesque.
High Comedy Coward Private Lives, Present Laughter, Blithe Spirit
See notes on Comedy of Manners Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest

Farce Stoppard Black Comedy, The Real Inspector Hound

Particularly popular in France in C19th. Frayn Noises Off
Usually the protagonist is placed into a Orton What the Butler Saw
situation and/or location where they should Cooney Run for Your Wife
not be & their increasingly frantic attempts to
avoid discovery are what lead to the comedy.
Actors play the ludicrous situations as real
and dangerous. The potential for disaster is
the key. Plots are often Increasingly complex
& refer to sexual misadventure. Action is fast
paced, and frenetic. Complex sets include
many entrances and exits. Physical Timing.
American Drama Williams A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie
Influenced the fashion for Realism in post- Miller The Crucible, Death of a Salesman, View from the Bridge
war British theatre. Often concerned with O’Neill The Iceman Cometh, Long Days Journey into Night
family tensions &/or sexual anxiety as well as Mamet Oleanna
morality and frustration. High-dramatic
tension. Lyrical dialogue. Reflected
individuals’ response to the pressures
exerted by the forces of family & society.
Total Theatre Weiss Marat/Sade
Theatre that encompasses different forms, Shaffer Equus, Royal Hunt of the Sun
such as ritual, myths, mask, mime, music...
Theatre of Cruelty is its basis. Aims to grab
audience’s attention and keep it through the
use of so many different techniques.
Complex combination of elements working in
a unified way. Often explores the relationship
between protagonists.