Who performed on the Elizabethan stage?



Elizabethan Theater Actors – the Superstars of the Elizabethan Theater. The famous actors who brought the plays and their plots to life. Edward Alleyn, Henry Condell, William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage and John Hemmings were probably the most famous of all Elizabethan actors.

Who were the actors on an Elizabethan stage and why?

In an Elizabethan production boys would play the female parts, like Ophelia in Hamlet or Desdemona in Othello, whilst occasionally men would play the older women.

Who performed in the plays during Shakespeare’s time?

The actors in Shakespeare’s company included Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, Henry Condell and John Heminges. Burbage played the leading role in the first performances of many of Shakespeare’s plays, including Richard III, Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear.

Who could attend theatre performances during the Elizabethan age?





Who came to the theatres? The answer is ‘just about everyone in London society‘ – generally more men than women, but all sorts of people. One visitor, in 1617, described the crowd around the stage as ‘a gang of porters and carters’. Others talked of servants and apprentices spending all their spare time there.

Who were the playwrights during the Elizabethan era?

Playwrights of Elizabethan Threatre

  • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
  • Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
  • Ben Jonson (1572-1637)

Who played female roles in Elizabethan theatre?

During the Elizabethan era only men were allowed to act in the theatre until 1660 – it was judged to be unseemly for a woman to undertake such a role. Young boys were therefore hired to act in the female roles. Elizabethan Women’s clothing was extremely elaborate and was constructed with many layers of clothing.