A popular crowd-pleaser in the late 16th and mid-17th century, the dramatic jig was a short, comic, bawdy musical-drama which included elements of dance, slapstick and disguise. With a cast of ageing cuckolds and young head-strong wives, knavish clowns, roaring soldiers and country bumpkins, jigs often followed as afterpieces at London's playhouses, and were performed at fairs, in villages and in private houses. Troublesome to the authorities, they drew the crowds by offering a lively antidote to more sober theatrical fare.
This performance edition presents for the first time nine examples of English dramatic jigs from the late sixteenth century through to the Restoration; the scripts are re-united as far as possible with their original tunes. It gives a comprehensive history, discusses sources, plots, instrumentation and dancing, and offers practical information on staging jigs today.
Includes:
Transcriptions of the original texts
Contextual notes: plot synopses and discussion of sources, themes and audience reception
Musical notation for each tune, with suggestions for underlay and chords, and notes on instrumention and style
Appendix of dance instructions and reconstructions
- ISBN10 0859898784
- ISBN13 9780859898782
- Publish Date 20 February 2014
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 27 January 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint University of Exeter Press
- Format Paperback
- Pages 352
- Language English