24 June, 1597 - The Life and Death of Harry I

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

Henslowe writes: 24 | tt at harey the firste ... 00 | 14

In modern English: 24^th [June, 1597] ... total at Harry I ... 14 shillings

 

King Henry I depicted in The Book
of the Laws of Ancient Kings (1321)

Today is Midsummer Day, a public holiday and a time to celebrate the summer. On this special day, the company has chosen to revive their lost history play, The Life and Death of Harry I, which told the story of King Henry I, the twelfth century king of England. You can read more about this play in the entry for 26 May.

Despite the festive occasion, the box office for Harry I is exactly the same as last week's. It seems hard to predict what people will do on Midsummer's Day: last year it drew a huge audience to see Phocas, but the year before it had little effect on The French Comedy. Clearly, there are variables that we do not understand. 

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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24 June, 1596 - Phocas

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 22 of June 1596 ... R at focas ... l^s

In modern English: [24^th] June, 1596 ... Received at Phocas ... 50 shillings

Phocas depicted in Richard
Rainoldes' Chronicle of all the
Noble Emperors of the Romans (1571)

Today was Midsummer's Day, a public holiday and a time for late-night bonfires and festivity! On this special day, the Admiral's Men returned to Phocas, their tragedy about an army officer who became Byzantine emperor and ruled as a tyrant. You can read more about this play in the entry for 20 May.

After a disappointing performance last week, Phocas is today getting a tremendous boost from the festive atmosphere of Midsummer's Day; a very large crowd has shown up to see this Roman tragedy.

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?

Did I make a mistake? Do you have a question? Have you anything to add? Please post a comment below!

24 June, 1595 - The French Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 24 of June mydsomerdaye ...  R at the frenshecomodeye ... xxx^s 

In modern English: 24^th June, Midsummer's Day ... Received at The French Comedy ... 30 shillings.

French commedia dell'arte performers,
from a 17th-century engraving by Jacques Callot

Today was Midsummer's Day, a public holiday and a time of late-night bonfires and celebration! On this day, the Admiral's Men chose to perform, for the last time, The French Comedy, a lost play about which we know almost nothing. You can read more about it in the entry for February 11.  

The French Comedy is one of those plays that the company has never performed at frequent intervals, and has never done particularly well. Today, on a public holiday, it has filled only half the theatre, which is not impressive at all. Perhaps this was the final nail in its coffin, as this is its last recorded performance in Henslowe's Diary.

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?

Did I make a mistake? Do you have a question? Have you anything to add? Please post a comment below!