Ireland may be small, but it has made an impact on theatre thanks to playwrights like George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. Early Irish dramas leaned toward political commentary and served government purposes, but this changed as playwrights started meeting the needs of the people. Attending plays became a popular pastime in Ireland and audiences grew as new theatres emerged. However, with the 19th century, many writers were forced to relocate to London or America to establish careers due to the economic struggles in Ireland.

The West End is an area in central London, England, that is well-known for its commercial and theatrical activity. West End theatre, also known as London's "Theatreland," refers to the various professional theatres located in this area, which is considered to be the cultural heart of London's performing arts scene.

The Greeks believe that they invented theatre, but the Egyptians actually preceded them with productions that were pageant-like and religious in nature. The ancient Egyptians performed plays and musicals in honor of their gods and as part of their religious ceremonies. These performances often included music, dance, and elaborate costumes.

Indigenous Peoples have created and performed traditional stories, dances, and songs for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. It was not until the 17th century when the first recorded European-style theatre production took place in Quebec, presented by priests. During the 19th century, theatre in Canada flourished, with the rise of touring productions, local companies, and theatres. However, most productions were influenced by British and American styles, with little focus on Canadian stories or themes.

French theater dates back to the 12th century, which is when the idea of performing arts for the purposes of entertainment rather than just for religious reasons was starting to emerge. Most initial plays were written in Latin. The first theatre in France was constructed in 1641.

The Burgtheater (known locally as the Burg) was built from 1874 to 1888 off the designs of Gottfried Semper and Karl von Hasenauer. The roots of the theater trace back to 1741 when an entrepreneur wanted to convert a disguised building on the Michaelerplatz into a stage. Desipite the blessing of Empress Maria Theresa, the theatre struggled to establish itself. However, Emproer Joseph II founded the Court and National Theater in 1776, and it became the Burgehater in 1918.

Anton Chekhov was an incredible Russian playwright and is considered to be the father of the modern short story and the modern play. In his lifetime he wrote seventeen plays and almost six hundred short stories. His best pieces lack complexity and feature simple resolutions. He was known for using simple technique without obtrusive literary devices, and he fully explored the genre of Realism (written based on facts rather than emotions).

Russian Theatre is fairly young when compared to the rest of Europe. During Shakespeare’s time, at the beginning of the 17th century, Russian theatre only existed as pagan plays and fables that were too often persecuted by the church. Although the concept didn’t exist until later, audiences had a history of being entertained by travelling performers. Theatre and ballet later started to take shape under a sponsorship of royal families. An imperial theatre was founded by a Lutheran pastor named Gregory during the 17th century reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and from here drama began to take its shape in Russian society.

Lakhon Bassac is a form of theatre with both dialogue and singing that is accompanied by Vietnamese or Chinese influenced music as well as Cambodian music. Western instruments are also used occasionally. The acting is improvised very often, or made up on the spot, distinguishing it from other forms of theatre. Cambodian classical dance gestures and poses are included in the dance scenes. Lakhon Bassac bears very strong Vietnamese and Chinese influences because of the close contact between the countries and Cambodia during French colonial rule. Performances used to last as many as six nights with troupes performing everywhere, all over the country, up until the unrest in Cambodia started in the early 1970s.

Wayang is an Indonesian form of shadow puppetry with the storylines beautifully executed by the puppeteer. Puppets are often made of buffalo hide and are designed down to every last detail so the audience can successfully distinguish between different characters. Storylines commonly surround kings, princesses, ogres, and knights. Many plots are drawn from the Hindu mythical stories Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Mexican theatre dates from back to the pre-Columbian period. Early Spanish missionaries witnessed the first traces of Mexican theater with the Aztecs, who included music and dance. Although there is no recorded written works of Aztec theatre, early missionaries documented seeing them perform. Spanish invaders viewed these presentations as the “fruits of a pagan culture” and discouraged them. Performances were forbidden and manuscripts were destroyed.

Commedia dell’arte is an Italian theatre form that was popular in Europe from the 16th through the 18th century. In Italian, the name translates into “comedy of the profession”. Outside of Italy it had great success in France and parts of England. The earliest known production was in Padua in 1545. Plays of this kind were normally performed in the open space by troupes of actors, and performances were based on a basic plot in which actors improvised their own dialogue. Actors were able to tailor the performance to the audience and make sly remarks or bawdy jokes when they felt it was appropriate.