Drama in York did not take place in isolation from
the other happenings in the city, and this study
examines the context of the presentation of drama
between 1554 and 1609 through the lives of those people
involved and the events of their time as revealed in the
city records.
The first chapter looks at the events of the years
1554, 1569, 1572, 1584, 1592 and 1609, including the
dramatic presentations of those years: the final
performances of the Corpus Christi Play and Pater Noster
Play, Grafton's Interlude, the travelling players and an
attempt to establish a theatre in York. It demonstrates
in particular the effect on drama of the establishment
of the Church of England and the growing strength of
central authority.
The longest chapter sets out information on people
before whose houses the various plays were performed,
and attempts to locate those houses and indicate the
original appearance of the streets through which the
pageants were taken. This is followed by an examination
of the few people known to have been involved in
presenting drama, comparing the different opportunities
open to John stamper in 1554 and Richard Middleton in
1609.
The implications of the documentary evidence for
events, places and people are discussed in the final
chapter, which notes how drama ceased to be a community
activity, and how participation passed from the
craftsmen to the professional and leisured classes.