The Early Masque Stages of Inigo Jones 1604 to 1610

The re-invention of the Tudor masque following the accession of James I has been widely discussed, primarily as a significant part of the dramatic and poetic writing of Ben Jonson, and other poets. In contrast, the scenic designs of Inigo Jones are less well-known, particularly the early ones that pre-date the fully perspective set. His sources have been discussed by Roy Strong and John Peacock but not the construction and working of the sets in performance. Inigo Jones is more famous as an architect but his first career at court was as masque designer. This paper will explore the set designs as they moved away from the pageant carts and small structures of the Tudor court to integrated scenery with some perspective. With only one design sketch by Jones extant for these years, the discussion will draw on the verbal accounts of the masque texts and eye-witness reports. The practicalities of entering, dancing and leaving the space will be explored and how the social ball, arguably the most important feature of the Stuart masque, was accommodated. Another important consideration will be the adaptation of fashionable clothing into symbolic yet wearable costumes for dancing. It is also time to assess where Jones ranks in relation to innovation in stage design in Europe. 

Anne Daye, formerly lecturer in 16th – 21st century Dance History for HE Dance institutions, is a free-lance researcher and teacher in Renaissance dance, based on the reconstruction of dances from the original sources. Her doctoral thesis of 2008 The Jacobean antimasque within the masque context: a dance perspective presented new thinking on the dance and theatre practice of the masque extending understanding beyond the texts. Anne contributed chapters on the masque and dancing to The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Dance Oxford University Press (2019) and to Performances at Court in the Age of Shakespeare Cambridge University Press (2019) and continues to research and publish. Anne is Director of Education and Research for the Historical Dance Society.