Monthly Archives: November 2020

Late medieval English comedies are called “Interludes,” a name that suggests they were playful interruptions to something else more serious, like a banquet or a longer devotional play. The name seems to suggest most strongly festivities at a banquet, perhaps … Continue reading →

We have something like four hundred examples of 15th century comic theater from France. We usually call these comedies “Farce,” from Latin “farcire,” to stuff. But at the time, they called the plays farce, sottie, or even moralité. A “sot” was … Continue reading →

Modern comedy begins to emerge from medieval piety in the Yorkshire town of Wakefield’s passion play cycle. We don’t know as much about the production at Wakefield, which may have been on wagons as at York. But certain of the … Continue reading →