House of Revels - Theatre Through the Ages is a podcast all about the history of British theatre from year nought to year now. Each episode we explore a different theatre style, how it originated, its defining features and legacy. We score the theatre style in four categories, before deciding whether it belongs in the House of Revels, the great and noble hall where only the best of British theatre lives.
15. Cornish Mystery Plays; The Ordinalia, inverted theatre in the round and Donald Trump
The origin of the Holy Cross, audience immersion and permenant outdoor theatre structures - the Middle Cornish Mystery Plays had it all!
Following on from Episode 14 (English Mystery Plays) we explore the wonderful theatre style that is Cornish Mystery Plays. Three Cornish mystery plays survive and together form the Ordinalia, which would have been performed across three consectutive days across medieval Cornwall. As well as exploring the elaborate and exciting staging of these Middle Cornish plays, we dive into the context of their origin, the decline of Cornish as a language and the imposition of English culture on Cornwall. PLUS where and when you can see the Ordinalia performed! House of Revels roadtrip anyone?
We've reached the end of the first series of House of Revels! 15 magnificient and theatre history filled episodes. We'll be back very soon with series 2 but in the meantime get in touch with us! Is there something you think we should cover? A specific regional theatre practice or perhaps an obscure litergical drama?
Join the revelry! We are on Instagram: @house_of_revels and Twitter, Youtube and Facebook as @houseofrevels! Of course, you can email us at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com! We'll also be posting regular updates, shout outs and fun facts on the House of Revels social channels, so follow us to stay up to date!
2 Mar 2021
14. Mystery Plays; Elaborate community theatre, product placement and a very rainy Bethlehem
It’s time to get mysterious... or is it? In episode 14 we explore the English Mystery Plays (also known as Mystery Cycles or Corpus Christi Plays). These plays portrayed the various biblical stories and were popular all over England (and Europe). We explore the extensive staging and prop usage in these plays (did someone say fire?) and learn about the elusive Wakefield Master. A new theatre style, a new set of plays... but will it join the House of Revels? Do you agree or disagree with our analysis and final decision? Join the revelry! We are on Instagram: @house_of_revels and Twitter, Youtube and Facebook as @houseofrevels! Of course, you can email us at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com!
24 Feb 2021
13. Comic Fabliau; Bawdy Jokes, the oldest English play and the origins of Chaucer
Episode 13 of House of Revels is here! In this episode we dive into the oldest play in the English vernacular (no more Latin, yay!). We examine what remains of the Student and the Girl and try to piece together the story from missing scenes. We explore the hierarchy of mintrels in Europe and why French minstrels were paid so much more than English minstrels!
Comic Fabliau is bawdy and full of puns and rhyming... but is that enough to grant it access into the House of Revels?
Have you got some fabliauous fun facts to share? Join the revelry! We are on Instagram: @house_of_revels and Twitter, Youtube and Facebook as @houseofrevels! Of course, you can email us at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com!
16 Feb 2021
12. The Feast of Fools; Topsy Turvy Mudslinging Clergy
The Feast of Fools...a day full of chaos, riots and japes...or was it? The Catholic Church has many”feast days” - celebrations of saints or special events in the liturgy (St Patrick’s Day, St Stephen’s Day, St Valentine’s Day). In this episode, we examine one of the most notorious feast days, the Feast of Fools. Made famous by Victor Hugo (and Disney) in The Hunchback of Norte Dame, the Feast of Fools is commonly understood to be a day where roles were reversed, people drank excessively and there were wild parties in the streets - all in celebration of being foolish. But is our perception of the Feast of Fools actually true? We look at some of the events associated with the feast, the controversy it caused and two plays that resulted from it (yes, actual theatre!) Have you got a Topsy Turvy story to share? Maybe a fun feast day fact? Join the revelry! We are on Instagram:@house_of_revels, or YouTube, Facebook and Twitter as @houseofrevels! Emails us at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
9 Feb 2021
11. Miracle Plays; the Glastonbury of the Medieval World
Come one, come all and hear stories of the miraculous!
Dragons, castles, fires and horses in men's shoes... episode 11 has it all! We explore the English and French miracle plays; plays about the lives and miracles of the saints of the Catholic Church. We delve into the context of the cult of saints and explore the connection between dragons, virgins and childbirth. We discover the author of the first (recorded) English miracle play, Geoffrey of Dunstable, and his burnt copes! During our exploration of The Mary Magdalene Digby Play, Olivia surprises us with some (seriously impressive and fun) miracle play staging facts. But just how popular were the plays of saints lives? Why did they stop?Olivia had such a strong gut reaction to this theatre style - have you ever responded in such an instinctive way to a piece of theatre?
Have you got something to share about miracle plays? Join the revelry! We are Instagram: @house_of_revels, or Youtube, Facebook and Twitter as @houseofrevels! Email us at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
2 Feb 2021
10. Goliards; Satirical Bad Boys of the Catholic Church lead by Abelard, of castration fame
Rebel youths, castration, celebrity tell-it-all autobiographies... the 12th and 13th century had it all! The failed crusades, the murder of Thomas Becket and greed within the Catholic Church caused a group of men to become disillusioned with the Catholic Church (and the status quo of life in general). Educated by the newly formed universities of Western Europe, notably the University of Paris and the University of Oxford, they put pen to paper and wrote scathing, angsty and satirical poetry. They became known as goliards (possible named so because of the bishop of their fictional order, Bishop Golias). The Church wasn't the only subject of their poetry and they also wrote many poems about drinking, sex and gambling (surprise, surprise). We explore these 'bad boy' goliards in more detail as well as their supposed influencer Pierre Abelard. We discover their legacy and learn about a VERY famous goliard poem - that you'll definately have heard!
A new style of poetry, a new group of performers and a final question - will goliards make it into the House of Revels? Links mentioned in episode: https://youtu.be/EJC-_j3SnXk
As ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts! Do you have more information about goliards? Do you disagree with our decision? Join the revelry! We are on Instagram: @house_of_revels, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter: @houseofrevels or you can drop us a line at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
26 Jan 2021
9. The Matter of Britain; Arthur, fanfic Lancelot and uncle monkey business
We all know about Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin and Guinevere but when did the story (or rather stories) start?
As well as the foundation of the notion of Courtly Love, the 12th century saw the creation of the first myth of Britain; the famous tale of the noble Arthur. A favourite of Henry II and popular in Europe, the story of Arthur quickly spread during the 12th century, transforming and expanding with new adaptations. It contributed to The Matter of Britain, a wide body of literature exploring the kings and heroes of Great Britain. Also appearing in The Matter of Britain is the famous love story of Tristan and Issolde, our example poem for the episode. We discuss the characters and themes of the poem and try to answer the question; what's with all the uncle business?
A new genre, a new wave of thought and a final question- will this new style enter the House of Revels? Do you have a nugget of info you’d like to share? Do you disagree with our decision? Join the revelry! We are on Instagram: @house_of_revels, or Youtube, Twitter and Facebook as @houseofrevels, or drop us an email at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
19 Jan 2021
8. Lais of Courtly Love; Chivalric romance for Eleanor of Aquitaine
TW// Sexual Assault This episode of House of Revels contains references to sexual assault, in the Ripple Or Riot section (at 49.30 minutes to 50.30 minutes). Virtuous, ennobling, true, devout… when did these ideas about love start? 900 years ago it turns out! There was a great flourishing of philosophy, thought, culture and art in the 12th century. Europe grew warmer, knights crusaded and Britain was part of a Plantagenet Empire that stretched from the Scottish Border to the Pyrenees, ruled from 1154 by arguably our most scholarly, and dramatic, King and Queen: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Together they oversaw the reinvention of British Myth, the adaptation of old British Folklore and the transformation of the idea of love. All through stories. We discuss the origins of courtly love, the influence of the Islamic golden age, and how this new style of romance permeated society and culture. We focus on the troubaritz Marie of France and her lai Eliduc. A new genre, a new wave of thought and a final question- will this new style enter the House of Revels? Do you have a nugget of info you’d like to share? Do you disagree with our decision? Join the revelry! We are on Instagram: @house_of_revels, or youtube, twitter and facebook as @houseofrevels, or drop us an email at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
12 Jan 2021
7. Terence Staging; ‘Mimic jests and obscene antics’ in the court of Henry II
This week on House of Revels - Theatre Through the Ages - we are looking at Terence Staging! If you recall from our Roman Theatre episode (go back and listen to episode two if you haven’t already) Terence was a prolific Roman comedy writer. In the 12th century his work was rediscovered by nobles and clergy all over Europe and we get the phenomenon known as Terence Staging. This episode, Mingma talks us through the wild ride that is the 12th century British monarchy, the first performing dogs and a play about weird, incestuous love triangles (our play of the podcast, Babio). If you enjoy listening to House of Revels please leave us a review and rate us! You can find us on social media:
Twitter @houseofrevels, Instagram @house_of_revels and Facebook: House of Revels. Catch us on Youtube @HouseofRevels
Or contact us via houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
5 Jan 2021
6. Songs of Praise; 1066, the Norman Conquest and sword juggling
Welcome to the sixth episode of House of Revels, Theatre Through the Ages. We’re the theatre history podcast that takes you right from year nought to year now. This week we are looking at Songs of Praise! No, not the hit BBC show but the songs written in praise of nobles and figures like William the Conqueror. Mingma talks us through the Norman Conquest, The Song of the Battle of Hastings and the illusive performer/juggler/soldier Taillefer. You can follow us on Twitter @houseofrevels, YouTube @houseofrevels and Insta @house_of_revels. You can also drop us a line at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
29 Dec 2020
5. Old English Verse; Beowulf, gleemen and The Lord of the Rings
Welcome to the fifth episode of House of Revels - Theatre Through the Ages. In this episode we examine the famous Old English poem Beowulf, the characters involved in it (and its creation) and talk about the destruction of Anglo-Saxon culture by the invading Normans. Mingma also explores the connection between Beowulf, Anglo-Saxon culture and The Lord of the Rings! If you enjoyed this episode you can follow us on Twitter @houseofrevels, Instagram @house_of_revels or YouTube @houseofrevels. You can also drop us a line at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com
22 Dec 2020
4. The Vikings; Skalds, grave-robbing and singing wingmen
We’ve reached episode four of House of Revels - Theatre Through the Ages. This week we explore The Vikings and their storytelling traditions. Mingma teaches us about the variety of ways the Norse invaders communicated and we learn that it’s not all longboats and helmets. If you enjoy listening to House of Revels you can follow us on Twitter @houseofrevels, Instagram @house_of_revels or send us an email at houseofrevelspodcast@gmail.com!
15 Dec 2020
3. Anglo-Saxon Liturgical Drama; Hrotsvitha, Alfred the Great and spice sellers in churches
We’ve reached episode three of House of Revels and the funkily named “Anglo-Saxon Liturgical Drama”! In this episode Olivia and Mingma explore the complicated relationship between the Anglo-Saxon Christian Church and theatre; they hated theatre and then they loved theatre and then they were theatre. We chat about how theatre disappeared and then reappeared after the Romans left Britain and Olivia gets very excited about a German nun aka. the first female playwright.
8 Dec 2020
2. Roman Theatre; Mimes, Terence and sex on stage
Hello, and welcome to the second episode of House of Revels - Theatre Through the Ages, the podcast where we explore the history of theatre in Britain.
In this episode we explore Roman theatre. Olivia takes us to Ancient Rome, and the world of emperors, amphitheatres and deus ex machina. We talk about the three great Roman playwrights and discover that the number of words Olivia can’t pronounce is much bigger than previously thought. If you enjoyed this episode, you can leave us a review and/or rating - and don’t forget to subscribe to stay update with all the latest episodes. You can follow us on Twitter @HouseofRevels or on Instagram @house_of_revels
1 Dec 2020
1. Fireside Storytelling; the origins of theatre
Hello, and welcome to the VERY FIRST episode of House of Revels - Theatre Through the Ages, the podcast where we explore the history of theatre in Britain.
In the first episode we explore fireside storytelling. Mingma takes us back to year nought and the origins of theatre and we discuss what life was like for the inhabitants of ‘Britain’ before the Roman invasion. We talk poo walls, dramatic thunderstorms and Olivia struggles not to talk about improv.
Follow us on Twitter @HouseofRevels or Instagram @house_of_revels
1 Dec 2020
An In Depth Introduction to House of Revels
In this introduction, Mingma and Olivia go into detail about what to expect from the House of Revels podcast, the parametres of our research and the structure of the episode.
28 Nov 2020
Trailer
Here's the trailer for our brand new podcast, House of Revels - Theatre Through the Ages! Listen for a little bit of info about what to expect from the podcast!
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