How were Shakespeare's plays announced at the globe theatre?

Answer 1

We don't really know how playgoers knew what play was to be played, but it seems likely that they did. Henslowe's diary, which was a record of his financial dealings as owner of the Rose theatre in the 1590s, including his takings from the plays played there, shows that certain plays always drew a larger crowd than others which were in repertoire at the same time. To explain, the playing companies might have a dozen plays ready for performance at any time, and they played them in alternation, so the same play was not played every day. Titus Andronicus was played at Newington Butts on June 5, 1594, but the next day they played a play called Cutlack, and the day after one called Bellendon. They didn't get around to Titus again until June 12. In looking over these accounts it is clear that certain plays brought in more money consistently than others. And the takings from a particular play tended to become less and less over time, as the play became too familiar. New plays always made good money when they were introduced.

So, how did the audience know what play was to be presented? Did they go to the theatre on spec, and ask, "What's the play today?" Were there posters put up? Were playbills handed around? If so, a fortune must have been spent on printing them up, as a new set of posters or playbills would have to be produced every day, six days a week, for months. Not only would it not have been cost effective, it would have caused a massive amount of litter, because there were three or more companies playing constantly in London at any given time. And printing was a slow process; they couldn't just go into a print shop and say "We're playing Romeo and Juliet tomorrow. Can I have 2000 handbills this afternoon?"

Having a "crier" go through the streets yelling "Come to the Globe today to see a new play called The Witch by Thomas Middleton! A new play from the King's Men!" is a possibility.

The idea is sometimes launched that the flags flown on the theatre advertised the genre of the play being played that day. There is no actual evidence of this happening, and many plays did not fall into genre categories--certainly not into the three categories from the First Folio. Even Shakespeare's plays were not so easily categorized. That playhouses flew flags we know from pictures of them, but the flags more likely acknowledged that the playhouse was open for business on that day. It would have been ridiculously expensive to make new flags for each play.

Most likely, the schedule of plays was communicated by word of mouth. Possibly, and this is sheer speculation, they were announced at the theatre. "Thank you for coming to Titus Andronicus. Tomorrow we will play Cutlack." When a theatre company started at a new location, or when a new play was to be performed, they may have used other means of advertising. That is sheer speculation again.