Attendance at the Theatre

What was London like in Elizabethan times and who were the people attending the theatre?

London was minuscule, post-medieval and nothing compared to the bustling metropolis of modern day London. However it was filling up fast as thousands of people were flocking to this up and coming city. London was a prosperous and becoming an economic giant due to trade and a developing night life i.e. brothels, pubs, theatres etc. By 1600 London's population was 200,000 which meant that the city was getting crowded and unsanitary. There was no formalised sewer system so the streets were littered with faeces, urine, rotting meat and of course the rats that would feed off of all of that. This meant that London began to expand and every available space was being built upon to house, entertain and give work to all it's occupants. For the people living in this time it would have been quite an interesting time especially depending on your social status. People from outside of England were coming to visit now moreover London was becoming more multicultural. Rich middle eastern noblemen travelled from the East to entertain the monarchs in court, bringing with them culture. spices and most importantly knowledge and inspiration.    

Although the over-population had a positive effect on the theatre world. By 1600 theatre attendance reached peaks of 20,000 per week! comparative to the population those numbers are almost unimaginable now. Due to tickets being so cheap (about a penny for yard viewing ) people of the lower classes could afford to go to the theatre. This was brilliant because it meant that lower class people could have access to entertainment, culture, literature, history all under one roof. Class had no bearing on whether you would go to the theatre however it did have an affect on where you would sit. The richest of the rich would sit in the nicer seats; perhaps they were cushioned with cover from the rain and a great view. They would not even think to go near the groundings full of peasants. The audiences behaviour would have been completely different. They would have been very active. booing when they see a villain, throwing rotten tomatoes at bad actors, shouting jokes and making merry with their neighbours. It would have been have been a very social experience.