Episode #25: Sally Beth MacLean Talks With Us About Shakespeare & 16th Century English Travelling Playing Companies

Between 1590 and 1642, there were about twenty companies of actors in London and only 4-5 of them played in London proper at one time. In addition to these companies, there were more than a hundred provincial troupes. The fact that there were many more provincial troupes than city-playing companies demonstrates that for William Shakespeare’s lifetime, it was actually the purpose built theater which was new and different, while travelling companies were the traditional way to tell stories through performance.

Here this week to help us understand a bit more about travelling theater companies is our guest, Sally-Beth Maclean. 
Sally-Beth is the REED Director of Research and General Editor of the Records of Early English Drama series at the University of Toronto. Her research project specifically into Early Modern Theaters started in 2011 focusing on 8 theatres north of the Thames and is currently exploring six theatres south of the Thames, which include Shakespeare’s Globe and the Rose.