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‘I Hope ’Twill Make You Laugh’: Audience Laughter at the Globe Theatre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2015

AMY KENNY
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Abstract

This article considers the role of laughter at the early modern and reconstructed Globe Theatres. Recently, debate has emerged over the nature of laughter at the Globe, as some critics and scholars believe that the actors encourage the audience to laugh excessively at the reconstructed Globe Theatre on Bankside in London. This article explores these concerns by tracing the anxieties surrounding laughter during the early modern period, and analysing their views against the modern actor's perspective at the Globe. The article argues that the architecture and shared lighting of the theatre foster more comedic moments for the audience, and considers its implications.

Type
Articles
Information
Theatre Research International , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , March 2015 , pp. 37 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © International Federation for Theatre Research 2015 

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References

NOTES

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