Theatre Closure and the Paradoxical Rise of English Renaissance Drama in the Civil Wars

The death of contemporary theatre in 1642 to 1660 gave birth to English Renaissance drama as a critical field, with stationers publishing unprecedented numbers of previously unprinted professional plays and anatomizing the whole corpus of English drama.

Format: Hardback
Length: 255 pages
Publication date: 09 March 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Heidi Craig's insightful study delves into the fascinating period of theatre closures from 1642 to 1660, a time when the death of contemporary theatre gave rise to English Renaissance drama as a critical field. Despite the prohibition on playing, drama thrived in print, with stationers publishing an unprecedented number of previously unprinted professional plays. These plays were marketed as novelty and nostalgia, bringing new life to plays that had been unpublished before 1642. Stationers also played a significant role in cataloguing English drama, printing the first anthologies and comprehensive catalogues. Craig's chapters explore various aspects of this turning point in English theatre history, including royalist nostalgia, clandestine theatrical revivals, dramatic compendia, and the mysterious scarcity of Shakespeare editions during the period. Additionally, she offers a fresh and incisive interpretation of Beaumont and Fletcher's A King and No King, shedding light on the complexities and contradictions of the era. This comprehensive study provides a rich and detailed account of the production and reception of drama during the theatre closures, contributing to our understanding of the transition from medieval to Renaissance theatre in England.

Heidi Craig's insightful study delves into the fascinating period of theatre closures from 1642 to 1660, a time when the death of contemporary theatre gave rise to English Renaissance drama as a critical field. Despite the prohibition on playing, drama thrived in print, with stationers publishing an unprecedented number of previously unprinted professional plays. These plays were marketed as novelty and nostalgia, bringing new life to plays that had been unpublished before 1642. Stationers also played a significant role in cataloguing English drama, printing the first anthologies and comprehensive catalogues. Craig's chapters explore various aspects of this turning point in English theatre history, including royalist nostalgia, clandestine theatrical revivals, dramatic compendia, and the mysterious scarcity of Shakespeare editions during the period. Additionally, she offers a fresh and incisive interpretation of Beaumont and Fletcher's A King and No King, shedding light on the complexities and contradictions of the era. This comprehensive study provides a rich and detailed account of the production and reception of drama during the theatre closures, contributing to our understanding of the transition from medieval to Renaissance theatre in England.

ISBN-13: 9781009224031