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Ancient Greek Theatre
Explore the development of Ancient Greek Theatre, the key traits of Greek tragedy and comedy, and some of the most popular playwrights of the era.
Ancient Roman Theatre
Ancient Roman Theatre was initially hugely influenced by Ancient Greek Theatre. Explore its development and some of the most popular playwrights of the era.
Medieval Theatre
Take an overview of the genres of drama in the Middle Ages, its development, and the difficulties we have today in accessing original sources of material.
Commedia dell'arte
Explore the development of the Commedia dell'arte genre, its distinctive style, and the traits of the stock characters.
English Renaissance Theatre
Explore the types of theatres and acting troupes during the English Renaissance era and then discover some of the most well-known playwrights of the time.
Spanish Golden Age
Explore the key playwrights of the Spanish Golden Age, and the style and development of the popular dramas in Spain during this period.
French Neoclassical Theatre
Discover the strict rules of French Neoclassical Theatre and the three playwrights who dominated the era.
Restoration Comedy
Explore the re-establishment of theatre during the Restoration era, the style and subject of the Comedy of Manners, and typical stock characters in the plays.
English Sentimental Theatre
Sentimental comedies emerged in England after the death of Charles II. Explore the typical tone and sentiment of the new comedies produced during this period.
Nineteenth-Century British Theatre
Hugely popular theatrical art forms developed throughout the nineteenth century, including pantomime, melodrama, burlesque, and the traditional society play.
Realism
Explore how the realist movement manifested in theatrical productions in the late 1800s and the typical techniques used by playwrights.
Naturalism
Explore the beginnings of naturalism as a dramatic movement and the fundamental differences between naturalism and realism.
Symbolism
Symbolism emerged around the same time as the realist movement. Explore the beginnings of the movement through the work of French poets and playwrights.
Experimental Theatre
Experimental theatre covers a wide range of styles. Explore its development, beginning in the late nineteenth century and continuing to the present day.
Expressionism
Explore the characteristics of expressionist theatre and the key playwrights and practitioners of the movement.
Irish Dramatic Movement
Discover the development of Irish drama from 1899 onwards and its influence on contemporary Irish theatre.
Little Theatre Movement
The Little Theatre Movement emerged in America around 1910. Explore the reasons for its development and some of the key practitioners and plays produced.
Harlem Renaissance Theatre
Explore the ideas underpinning the Harlem Renaissance theatrical movement, along with some of the key productions, companies, and playwrights.
Epic Theatre
Explore the early origins of Epic theatre and discusses how Brecht developed them to create a very specific style and structure of theatrical performance.
Theatre of the Absurd
Explore the origins of Theatre of the Absurd and the need to communicate post-war society on stage. Discover some of the most influential absurdist playwrights.
Windrush Theatre
Windrush theatre developed to recognize the contributions made to British society by immigrants from Caribbean countries who arrived between 1948 and 1971.
Kitchen Sink Drama
Discover the themes explored in kitchen sink dramas and the key playwrights who took up the mantle of the working class community.
Canadian First Nations Theatre
Explore the development of Canadian First Nations theatre, and discover key playwrights and their influential plays.
Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Movement, dated from 1965-1975, was defined by political and progressive ideologies.
Australian Aboriginal and Indigenous Drama
Explore the emergence and impact of Aboriginal drama in Australia and the subsequent growth of Aboriginal theatre companies within the nation.
Puppetry
The use of puppetry in theatre spans many centuries, artistic movements, and countries. Explore some examples of the diverse popularity of puppet theatre.
Early American Musical Forms
Discover the different types of early popular musical performance in the United States during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
British Music Hall
Explore the development of British Music Hall and the star performers who became synonymous with the genre. Then trace its gradual decline in the early c20th.
Gilbert and Sullivan
Study the collaboration between W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, the development of their operettas, and the London theatrical scene in which they flourished.
Musicals of the Roaring Twenties and 1930s
Explore the popular musical genres favored by audiences during the 1920s and 1930s, from the Broadway revue, to the Ziegfeld Follies, to the influence of jazz.
Golden Age of Musical Theatre
Discover the changes in musical theatre during the Golden Age and explore the influential writing partnerships who changed the face of Broadway forever.
Rodgers and Hammerstein Musicals
Explore the development of Rodgers and Hammerstein's hugely successful partnership, chronologically charting their Broadway successes (and failures).
Stephen Sondheim Musicals
Explores the development and style of Stephen Sondheim's work, from his breakthrough in 1957 to the final years leading up to his death in 2021.
Concept Musicals
Discover the development of the concept musical from the 1960s onwards, and consider the influence of key composers and practitioners.
Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals
Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most influential and successful composers of the modern musical. Discover his early successes through to the modern day.
Rock Musicals
Discover the development of the rock musical and its relationship with other key genres of musical theatre.
Classic Musical Revivals of the 1970s & 1980s
The 1970s saw Broadway reflect the huge cultural changes in American culture and society. Explore how these musicals developed and their lasting influence.
Jukebox Musicals
Explore the development of the jukebox musical and discover important examples throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Movie Adaptations on Stage
Discover the different types of musical theatre adaptations of popular films and identify key examples that have achieved huge success.
Megamusicals
The term ‘megamusical’ first began to appear in the early 1980s. Discover its development in the late twentieth century and explore key examples today.
Disney on Broadway
Disney on Broadway has successfully found homes all over the world since its launch in 1993. Explore its history and cultural impact over the last thirty years.
The Birth of Opera and the Early Baroque
Discover examples of early operas in the baroque era and the influential composers of this period.
Late Baroque Opera: The Development of Form
Explore the development of baroque opera in the eighteenth century, the influence of George Frederic Handel, and the popular styles favored during this period.
Opera in the Classical Period
Explore the flurry of operatic productions in the final years of the eighteenth century and the influence of Gluck, Mozart, and Joseph Bologne.
The Bel Canto Movement
Discover the work of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, and analyze the changes in style and composition of popular operas during the Bel Canto Movement.
Nineteenth-Century Opera
Explore the biggest growth in the production and creation of new operas, and the expansion away from Italy and France, and into Russia and other territories.
Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Opera
One of the biggest catalysts for the development of all forms of art in the Western world was World War One. Explore the development of opera from 1900 onwards.