Living Theatre in the Ancient Roman House: Theatricalism in the Domestic Sphere

For the Romans, much of life was seen, expressed and experienced as a form of theatre. In their homes, patrons performed the lead, with a supporting cast of residents and visitors. This sumptuously illustrated book, the result of extensive interdisciplinary research, is the first to investigate, describe and show how ancient Roman houses and villas, in their décor, spaces, activities and function, could constitute highly-theatricalised environments, indeed, a sort of 'living theatre'. Their layout, purpose and use reflected and informed a culture in which theatre was both a major medium of entertainment and communication and an art form drawing upon myths exploring the core values and beliefs of society. For elite Romans, their homes, as veritable stage-sets, served as visible and tangible expressions of their owners' prestige, importance and achievements. The Roman home was a carefully crafted realm in which patrons displayed themselves, while 'stage-managing' the behaviour and responses of visitor-spectators.

About the Author

Richard C. Beacham is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Dgtl Humanities, King's College, London. An authority on ancient theatre, he is the author of numerous publications including The Roman Theatre and its Audience (Harvard University Press, 1991) and Spectacle Entertainments of Early Imperial Rome (Yale University Press, 1999). As a leading international scholar of theatre history, Beacham has pioneered the use of 3-D modelling in humanities research. While a Fellow at the Getty Museum, he produced his translation of ancient comedy upon a replica Roman stage based upon his research.

Hugh Denard taught in the University of Warwick, King's College London and Trinity College Dublin. He has published on ancient drama in performance, the reception of ancient drama since antiquity, Irish theatre history, dgtl visualisation in the arts and humanities and he proposed and edited the influential London Charter for the Computer-based Visualisation of Cultural Heritage.