Épisodes

  • The Curtain Theater Excavation

    The Curtain Theater Excavation
    Feb 17 2025
    The Curtain Theatre was built in 1577 in a section of London called Shoreditch. Constructed only about 200 yards, or 600 feet, away from The Theater, which is the building James and Richard Burbage built as the first purpose built theater in London. For context, this distance about half a city block in Manhattan, and little less than 1 city block in Chicago. In 1585, the Burbages took advantage of this close proximity and struck a deal with the owner of The Curtain to use it as a second performance venue. From 1597-1599, The Curtain was home to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and saw the staging of some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays including Romeo and Juliet, and Henry IV Part 1 and 2. The Curtain also staged contemporary plays by John Marston and even one production of Ben Jonson's Every Man in His Humour in 1598, which is a significant production for Shakespeare history, since William Shakespeare was listed as a member of the cast, making The Curtain theater a place we know Shakespeare would have performed himself. There are no records of the Curtain after 1627, so historians are unclear what happened to cause the theater space to be closed down, but a recent development of a square in Shoreditch is bringing The Curtain back to life by having uncovered remains of The Curtain theater that have not only been preserved, but are being showcased as the new Museum of Shakespeare in London, that will allow patrons to literally stand where Shakespeare once stood. Here today to share with us the details behind the dig, and how you can visit the Museum of Shakespeare, is our guest, and lead archaeologist for the excavation with the Museum of London Archaeology, Heather Knight. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    24 min
  • Food Preservation in the 16-17th Century

    Food Preservation in the 16-17th Century
    Feb 10 2025
    In Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona, Proteus says “Here's too small a pasture for such store of muttons.” Proteus is speaking metaphorically here, but the phrase refers to the relationship between animals raised in a field, and then processed for food to be stored away in a cache that can be drawed upon for consuming later. Stephano, in the Tempest, shares the location of his store of wine, saying “The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock by the sea-side where my wine is hid.” Indicating that a cellar was one place to store bottles of wine long term. Both of these references demonstrate for us that 16th-17th century society was familiar with the idea of storing fresh food for the winter, but it leaves us with the question of what exactly was a “store of muttons,” for example? I mean, Shakespeare and his contemporaries didn’t have refrigeration, so what methods were used to keep fresh meat from going rancid? Back with us again this week, to help us understand Tudor and Renaissance England food preservation methods, as well as storage options, like cellars, is our guest and food historian, Neil Buttery. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    42 min
  • Candlemas, Traditions, and Hampton Court Palace

    Candlemas, Traditions, and Hampton Court Palace
    Feb 3 2025

    William Shakespeare never mentions the celebration of Candlemas by name in his works, but we know Shakespeare was involved in the celebration of Candlemas in 1602 from a diary entry written by a man named John Manningham, who wrote about attending a performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, on February 2 of that year, the traditional Feast Day of Candlemas.This 1602 performance took place at Middle Temple Hall, one of the ancient and prestigious training and education establishments for lawyers in the heart of London. Shakespeare also spent Candlemas in other years with his acting troupe at the royal court, producing plays for Elizabeth I and James I.

    What was Candlemas? How was it celebrated? Why was Shakespeare involved in staging plays for the Queen and King? What did they look like, and why were they performed on Candlemas? Who was there? And what do we know about how the plays were received?

    To answer these questions, and to introduce us to the holiday of Candlemas, and to Shakespeare as a court performer, welcome to our guest Brett Dolman, historian and curator at Hampton Court Palace, where Shakespeare himself once performed.

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    45 min
  • Hue and Cry

    Hue and Cry
    Jan 27 2025
    Shakespeare uses the phrase, “Hue and cry” twice in his plays. Once in Henry IV Part 1and again inMerry Wives of Windsor. In the Middle Ages, this phrase represented acivilian peacekeeping effort that remained officially on the books in England until the19thcentury. Amounting, on an extremely basic level, to what those in the US mayrecognize as a “citizen’s arrest,” hue and cry allowed the average person to performpolicing duties in the face of witnessing a crime. Hue and Cry remained active as apunitive measure for Shakespeare’s lifetime and here today to explain for us exactlywhat it means to “raise and hue and cry” in both legal and practical terms, as well aswho was allowed to use this method of civic policing, along with why and when it wasuseful, is our guest, Samatha Sagui Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    26 min
  • Henry IV, Henry V, and King Richard II

    Henry IV, Henry V, and King Richard II
    Jan 20 2025
    The spectacular downfall of King Richard II, followed by the successors Henry IV and then Henry V, are famously depicted in Shakespeare’s plays. The Life and Death of King Richard II is a prequel to what’s known as Shakespeare’s Henriad plays, or the Henry Plays, consisting of Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV part 2, and Henry V. Richard II is believed to have been written around 1595, and while the plays tow the line in terms of what Tudor monarchs would have wanted you to believe the histories of these men, there are some places where Shakespeare’s version conflicts with known history about Richard II and Henry IV. Our guest this week has recently completed a book on both these Kings of England, titled appropriately, THE EAGLE AND THE HART: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV, in which she details the real history of two of the most famous, yet also two of the most often misunderstood (thanks in no small part to Shakespeare) Kings of England. To help us wade into Shakespeare’s history plays and sort out fact from fiction, we are delighted to welcome Helen Castor to the show today. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    35 min
  • Golf for the 16th Century: Explore Clubs, Gear, and Courses

    Golf for the 16th Century: Explore Clubs, Gear, and Courses
    Jan 13 2025
    Shakespeare may not mention the word “golf” in his plays, and in exploring history, it seems that the game was a little bit obscure, certainly not something played widely, but nevertheless it was present for Shakespeare’s lifetime, with some major moments for golf history overlapping with the life of William ShakespeareFor example, it was England’s King James I, patron of Shakespeare’s company the King’s Men, who allowed golf to be played on Sundays. Here today to help us explore the history of the game of golf for Shakespeare’s lifetime, including what equipment was used, what kind of rules were in place for the game, and what archaeological records survive to tell the tale about what golf was like in the 16-17th century is our guest and founder of the Society of Golf Historians, Connor Lewis. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    31 min
  • Epiphany Celebrations and Customs for the 16-17th Century

    Epiphany Celebrations and Customs for the 16-17th Century
    Jan 6 2025
    January 6 is the day that many celebrate a holiday called Epiphany, the first manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God to the Gentiles, which happened through the visit of the Magi, or the Three Kings, who visited Jesus and brought him the now famous gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrr. The holiday was celebrated in Shakespeare’s lifetime, but just like today when the holiday is marked by cultural and regional variations for exactly what those celebrations will include, Epiphany in the 16-17th century was unique as well. Here today to walk us through the history of Epiphany and how it was celebrated in Shakespeare’s lifetime is our guest, Beatrice Groves. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    21 min
  • Ice Skating and Winter Sports

    Ice Skating and Winter Sports
    Dec 30 2024
    When the weather was cold in England, it could get frigidly cold, even causing the rivers and lakes to freeze over. In Elizabethan England, you may be surprised to learn that ice sports, such as skating, even hockey, were practiced on the ice in wintertime. To share with us the history of these sports, the archaeological record that survives to demonstrate that history, as well as what we know about ice skating and physical skates that were used to accomplish these activities, is our guest and historian, Tomas Masar. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    21 min