Staging the Henrician Court : Lighting
This page last changed on Dec 07, 2009 by Eleanor Rycroft.
Evidence from the mid-sixeenth century onwards suggests that early modern theatre was lit by chandeliers or candelabras strung across the roofs of performance spaces on wires. Extra light was provided at the court or in great halls by torch-bearers and fireplaces. Unfortunately, modern health and safety restrictions make the reproduction of such lighting impossible. As we were performing the play in summer we decided to keep the natural lighting of the Great Hall - feeling that any modern directional stage lighting would not aid our translation of the play - but we may well explore the area of lighting further in 2010. Please offer your thoughts and further evidence for early modern stage lighting on this page, or discuss the implications of our lighting decisions on the discussion page.
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