Approaching the Interval in the Early Modern Theatre: The Significance of the 'Act-Time'

The five-act, four-interval play originated from candle technology, which required artificial light to interrupt the action. This Element explores how the interval affected composition and stagecraft, provided opportunities for stage-sitters, and converted amphitheatre plays for indoor performance. It also discusses how this aspect of theatre might feed into the debate over the King's Men's repertory management and its wider implications for the modern theatre and the academy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 114 pages
Publication date: 25 April 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The early modern indoor theatre faced a significant challenge in requiring artificial light, which often interrupted the action to attend to the candles. However, the origin of the five-act, four-interval play was not classical drama but rather candle technology. This Element delves into the profound implications of this aspect of playmaking. By examining surviving texts, it explores how the interval influenced composition and stagecraft, provided opportunities for stage-sitters, and facilitated the conversion of amphitheatre plays for indoor performances (and vice versa). Through the recovery of the interval, new insights are gained into familiar texts, and intriguing examples of its functioning in lesser-known plays come to the forefront. This Element concludes with a discussion of how this aspect of theatre could contribute to the ongoing debate over the repertory management of the King's Men during their Globe-Blackfriars years. Furthermore, it outlines the broader implications for both the modern theatre and the academy.

The early modern indoor theatre faced a significant challenge in requiring artificial light, which often interrupted the action to attend to the candles. However, the origin of the five-act, four-interval play was not classical drama but rather candle technology. This Element delves into the profound implications of this aspect of playmaking. By examining surviving texts, it explores how the interval influenced composition and stagecraft, provided opportunities for stage-sitters, and facilitated the conversion of amphitheatre plays for indoor performances (and vice versa). Through the recovery of the interval, new insights are gained into familiar texts, and intriguing examples of its functioning in lesser-known plays come to the forefront. This Element concludes with a discussion of how this aspect of theatre could contribute to the ongoing debate over the repertory management of the King's Men during their Globe-Blackfriars years. Furthermore, it outlines the broader implications for both the modern theatre and the academy.

Weight: 112g
Dimension: 124 x 177 x 8 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108791922