126 Unit 08 | Culture vulture Skim the article below and underline any facts that you find strange or surprising. With a partner, try to agree on the two most surprising facts. Now read the text closely. Answer the questions (1–8) using a maximum of four words. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. READING 9 a b When Shakespeare was low culture What are your plans for this evening? If you tell people you are going to the theatre to see a Shakespeare play, they may think you are into high culture. So you might be surprised to learn that Shakespeare and his contemporaries, such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson, were not always seen this way. Read on to find out why. What did people in the 1600s do for fun? After all, there was no TV, no social media and not even radio. The answer is they went to the theatre – not just the rich, everybody. But the theatre did not have a good reputation in those days. London authorities prohibited theatres within the city limits, so they opened across the Thames in Southwark (pronounced ‘suthuck’), outside the city boundaries. The city of London disapproved of theatres, believing that public performances were a breeding ground for the plague and indecent behaviour. The theatre was often a place for prostitutes to find their customers, and many people disliked the fact that the theatre allowed different social groups to mix. Furthermore, since performances took place in the middle of the day, they often drew workers away from their jobs, which frustrated employers. Despite this, the performing arts flourished, and the first permanent theatre as we know it, The Theatre, was built in Shoreditch in 1576. Before this, plays used to be performed in the courtyards of inns, or, sometimes, in the houses of the nobility. However, a nobleman had to be careful when choosing which play he allowed to be performed in his home. Anything that was too political or seemed disloyal was likely to get him in trouble with the Queen or King, and this could lead to imprisonment or even execution! The most famous playhouse was The Globe, built in 1599 by the company in which Shakespeare had invested. In 1613, a cannon fired during a performance of Henry VIII set the roof on fire, and unfortunately, The Globe burned to the ground. The site of the theatre was rediscovered in the 20th century and a replica was built nearby. By that time, Shakespeare’s work had, of course, firmly established itself as part of high culture. These theatres could hold several thousand people, with most standing in the open pit in front of the stage. Wealthy nobles had the privilege of watching the play from chairs placed at the side of the stage. Performances took place in the afternoon as there was no artificial lighting. Women attended plays, though no women were allowed to perform in them. Female roles were generally given to young boys. Theatres were very unhygienic as there were no toilet facilities and people relieved themselves outside. Sewage was either buried in pits or dumped into the River Thames. This inadequate sanitation may have been responsible for outbreaks of the plague. As you can see, there were many practical reasons why performances in the city were considered unacceptable by the London authorities and why theatre was regarded as low culture. Additionally, there was an ethical issue: At certain times in history, the Church considered actors and dancers immoral and refused to marry or bury them. Even the famous French playwright Molière was refused a church burial. Some years after Shakespeare’s death, the large open-air theatres were replaced by smaller indoor venues that catered exclusively to aristocrats who could bear the cost of high-priced tickets. For poor Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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