18 January, 1595 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 19 of Jenewary 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... xv^s 

In modern English: [18^th] January, 1595 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 15 shillings

An Elizabethan hunting scene: one
of the possible subjects of this play

Today, for the last time, the Admiral's Men revived their lost Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

Today is a strange day. The company has finally returned to The Ranger's Comedy, a play they have left unperformed since October. Ever since its successful first performances at the Rose in June, the play has been declining in popularity to truly embarrassing levels, becoming one of the worst-performing plays at the Rose. Today, the players have brought it back after nearly three months - but only for its swan song, as they will never perform it again.

If the audience was aware that this was the play's last hurrah, they were not sentimental about it - today's performance received the lowest box office of this week at the Rose.

Just for fun, here's a graph of the play's fortunes over time:

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow because 19th January was a Sunday in 1595 and the players did not perform. For some reason, no performance is recorded for the Monday either. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 21st; see you then!

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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3 October, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 2 of octobȝ 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... x^s 

In modern English: [3^rd] October, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 10 shillings

An Elizabethan hunting scene; one
of the possible subjects of this play

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

This is getting ridiculous. The Ranger's Comedy, which was presumably not funny at all, has received one of the lowest returns in this season of the Diary. Yet the wretched thing continues to be restaged time and again. It makes no sense.

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!

17 September, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 16 of septmbȝ 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... xv^s 

In modern English: [17^th] September, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 15 shillings

An Elizabethan hunting scene; one
of the possible subjects of this play

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

Once again,the company has left The Ranger's Comedy unperformed for three weeks, and its return has been met with considerable apathy. The company's perseverance in continuing to stage this play remains mildly baffling.

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!

22 August, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 20 of aguste 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... xiiij^s vj^d

In modern English: [22^nd] August, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 14 shillings and sixpence

An Elizabethan hunting scene; one
of the possible subjects of this play

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

The Ranger's Comedy continues to receive terrible box office. The company has been leaving it unperformed for longer and longer intervals, this time avoiding it for over three weeks, but absence most definitely does not make Londoners' hearts grow any fonder toward this play.

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!

1 August, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 1 of aguste 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... xiij^s vj^d
In modern English: 1^st August, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 13 shillings and sixpence

An Elizabethan hunting scene; one
of the possible subjects of this play

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

The Ranger's Comedy has been receiving poor box office of late, and the company has left it unperformed for nearly a fortnight. This neglect has had no impact at all on its popularity: today's performance has resulted in the play's worst box office so far.

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!

17 July, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 17 of Julye 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... xv^s

In modern English: 17^th July, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 15 shillings.

An Elizabethan hunting scene; one
of the possible subjects of this play

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

The company appears to be settling into a groove of performing The Ranger's Comedy approximately once every week and a half. But its previous outing had been unimpressive and this one was two shillings worse. The play does not seem to be a great draw for audiences.

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!

5 July, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 5 of Julye 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... xviij^s

In modern English: 5^th July, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 18 shillings.

An Elizabethan hunting scene: one of
the possible subjects of The
Ranger's Comedy

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

The Ranger's Comedy has not been revived since its very successful performance on  Midsummer's Day, a week and a half ago. Today's staging was not successful, producing a very unimpressive box office. Perhaps it required a festival day to persuade people to see this comedy.

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, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... lviiij^s

In modern English: 24^th June, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 59 shillings.

An Elizabethan hunting scene, perhaps
illustrating the subject of this play

Today was Midsummer Day, a holiday to celebrate the solstice. For this festive day, the Admiral's Men revived their lost play The Ranger's Comedy. We do not know its subject, as the word "ranger" could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

The Ranger's Comedy was last performed at the Rose only four days ago, and it had then produced only average box office. But today, it was twice as successful, producing an almost full theatre. This change in fortune probably has nothing to do with the play itself, though, and more to do with a greater number of people having time off to go to the theatre.

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!

20 June, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 18 of June 1594 ... R at the Rangers comodey ... xxij^s

In modern English: 20^th June, 1594 ... Received at The Ranger's Comedy ... 22 shillings.

An Elizabethan hunting scene; one
of the possible subjects of The
Ranger's Comedy

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost play The Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word could refer to a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

The Ranger's Comedy had last been performed at the Rose back in May. It had produced only average box office then, and today it was well below that, showing a clear decline in popularity.

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!

15 May, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: R at the Rangers comodey the 15 of maye 1594 ... xxxiij^s

In modern English: Received at The Ranger's Comedy, 15^th May, 1594 ... 33 shillings

An Elizabethan hunting scene: one of the
possible subjects of today's play

Today, the Admiral's Men revived a lost play called The Ranger's Comedy. We do not know what this play was about, as the word "ranger" could refer to many things, including a gamekeeper, a rake, a wanderer, or an organizer of troops. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 April.

The Ranger's Comedy had last been performed at the Rose a month ago, by Sussex's Men and the Queen's Men, when it had produced an almost full house. Today, its receipts were more modest, representing a theatre only half full.

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!

2 April, 1594 - The Ranger's Comedy

Here's what the Earl of Sussex's Men and the Queen's Men performed at the Rose playhouse on this day, 424 years ago...

Henslowe writes: R at the Rangers comodey 2 of marche Aprell 1593 ... iij^ll 

In modern English: Received at The Ranger's Comedy, 2^nd April, 1594 ... £3

An Elizabethan hunting scene, perhaps
illustrating the subject of this play

Today, Sussex's Men and the Queen's Men performed The Ranger's Comedy. This play is now lost, and it is hard to tell from its title alone what its subject matter might have been. The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that in Elizabethan England, the word 'ranger' could refer to:

• A forester, a gamekeeper, or the keeper of a royal park (this meaning survives in the modern 'park ranger')
• Someone who wanders
• A rake (that is, one who ranges from woman to woman)
• Someone who organizes troops for a battle

Any of these rangers could have been a suitable subject for a comedy. Was the play about a harassed gamekeeper trying to fend off poachers? Was it a travel play about a wanderer? Was it about a lothario who gets his comeuppance? Or was it a play about war?  We'll probably never know.

But whatever its subject, today's performance attracted a large crowd representing an almost full theatre. This may have been because The Ranger's Comedy was a much-loved old play; however, this being Easter Week, a time of festivity, it's possible that Londoners were flooding to the theatre regardless of what was being offered. 

FURTHER READING

Ranger's Comedy information

• Roslyn L. Knutson, "The Rangers Comedy", Lost Plays Database (2010). 
• Martin Wiggins, British Drama, 1533-1642: A Catalogue, vol. 3 (Oxford University Press, 2013), entry 869.

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!