15 January, 1597 - The Blind Beggar of Alexandria

Here's what the Admiral's Men performed at the Rose playhouse on this day, 424 years ago...

Henslowe writes: y^e 15 of Janewary 1597 ... R at the blinde beager ... ix^s

In modern English: 15^th January, 1597 ... Received at The Beggar ... 9 shillings

Beggars in Alexandria; an undated photograph
from Brooklyn Museum's Lantern Slide Collection

Today, the Admiral's Men revived The Blind Beggar of Alexandria, a comedy by George Chapman about a master of disguise. You can read more about this play in the entry for 12 February.

The last time the company staged The Blind Beggar, three weeks ago, it received a microscopically small audience. Today's is not much better; this play has most definitely passed its sell-by date.

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow, because 16 January was a Sunday in 1597 and the players did not perform. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 17th for a week of old favourites. 

Henslowe links

• Transcript of this page of the Diary (from W.W. Greg's 1904 edition)
• Facsimile of this page of the Diary (from the Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation Project)

Comments?

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