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77918-01 - Practical course: Staging the Renaissance: From the Tavern to the Castle (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Thomas Manson (thomas.manson@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The history of Renaissance theatre is a story of different types of performance space and the various theatrical modes which came to be associated with them; bustling inn-yards, raucous amphitheaters, eerie candlelit playhouses and resplendent courts and castle grounds have all played host to the era’s remarkable theatrical output. Many of us will be familiar with the plays of William Shakespeare and his work in theatres like the Globe in London - that ‘wooden ‘O’’ as he famously called it in his Prologue to "Henry V"; a mysterious theatrical space, both physical and imaginary, which somehow holds within it ‘the vasty fields of France’. But the early modern theatre has a history beyond the bounds of the ‘wooden ‘O’’ and the professional companies that performed there. In its earlier days, it was the realm of traveling players in market squares and inn-yards. Theatres like the Globe would soon follow, and in the early 17th century there came further developments like the ‘court masque’ with its own extravagant staging possibilities, most famously realized in the wild design experiments of Inigo Jones (think lots of smoke, artificial seas and dancing witches). Over the coming weeks then, we will consider a range of plays and production contexts – both canonical and lesser-known – which narrate this diversity of theatrical development in the Renaissance, from the inn-yard all the way to the court. In doing so, we will be taking a more practical approach to our chosen texts. There will be a chance to get these plays on their feet and to grapple and experiment with these complex interactions between text and space. This more hands-on approach to the staging of these plays provokes fascinating interpretive questions: what might a reading of Shakespeare’s "The Winter’s Tale", for example, gain from a consideration of the theatrical potential of candlelight? How might a vivid sensory environment like the inn-yard, with all its smells and sounds, impact and inform the work of performers and playwrights? This course therefore functions as a general introduction to the theatrical forms of the Renaissance, but with particular attentiveness to the practical questions of ‘staging’ and to the spaces in which these plays were first performed. |
| Learning objectives | This course takes an approach with straddles both Literary and Cultural Studies and Theatre Studies. Students will have the chance to explore our chosen texts on a practical level through workshopping and staging, which will inform our readings and interpretations of said texts. Students will also gain important historical insight, as well as exploring theoretical approaches to the subject of performance space and wider questions around ‘spatiality’. |
| Bibliography | All of our chosen plays will be made available on ADAM. The selection includes, but is not limited to: "The Old Wives’ Tale" (George Peele, 1595) "The Winter’s Tale" (William Shakespeare, 1623) "Comus: A Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle", 1634 (John Milton, 1634) |
| Comments | Whilst an interest in the performance of these texts is encouraged, there is no requirement to perform. Students can bring their own skillsets and interests to the course, whether they relate to acting, music, design, or more traditional academic approaches. Much of this will be gauged once we begin the course, and will be driven by the interests of those present. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Course application | In order to attend this course, you must sign-up both via services.unibas.ch and by sending an email to thomas.manson@unibas.ch. Places are limited to 25. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| wöchentlich | Monday | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 16.02.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 16.02.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 23.02.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Fasnachtsferien |
| Monday 23.02.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Fasnachtsferien |
| Monday 02.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 02.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 09.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 09.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 16.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 16.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 23.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 23.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 30.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 30.03.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 06.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Ostern |
| Monday 06.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Ostern |
| Monday 13.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 13.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 20.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 20.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 27.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 27.04.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 04.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 04.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 11.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 11.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 18.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 18.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Monday 25.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Pfingstmontag |
| Monday 25.05.2026 | 16.15-18.00 | Pfingstmontag |
| Modules |
Modul: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor's Studies - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) Modul: Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation and collaborative final presentation. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |