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?

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16 September, 1594 - The Venetian Comedy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 15 of septmbȝ 1594 ... R at the venesyon comodey ... xxxvj^s vj^d

In modern English: [16^th] September, 1594 ... Received at The Venetian Comedy ... 36 shillings and sixpence

The Quack Doctor by Pietro Longhi (late
18th century)

Today, the Admiral's Men revived The Venetian Comedy, a play about which we know nothing beyond its title. You can read more about this play in the entry for 27 August.

The Venetian Comedy continues to attract solid rather than remarkable audiences, despite having been staged only three times now. While it is doing better than most of the older plays in the repertory, it is not doing as well as most new plays have done.

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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14 September, 1594 - Philippo and Hippolito

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 13 of septmbȝ 1594 ... R at phillipo & hewpolyto ... xx^s

In modern English: [14^th] September, 1594 ... Received at Philippo and Hippolito ... 20 shillings

Two Young Men by Crispin van den Broeck, c.1590

Today, the company returned to Philippo and Hippolito, their enigmatic lost play about two men of that name. You can read more about this play in the entry for 9 July.

A week and a half after its last performance, Philippo and Hippolito continues to be one of the most frequently performed plays at the Rose this year. But its box office also continues to shrink upon each reappearance.

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow because 15th September was a Sunday in 1594, and the players did not perform. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 16th, for a week that will include one new 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!

13 September, 1594 - Tamburlaine

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 12 of septmbȝ  1594 ... R at tamberlen ... xxxxv^s 

In modern English: [13^th] September, 1594 ... Received at Tamburlaine ... 45 shillings.

Illustration of the historical Tamburlaine
from Richard Knolles' General History
of the Turks (1603).

Today, the players performed Tamburlaine, Christopher Marlowe's spectacular epic about the bloodthirsty conqueror of Asia. You can read more about this play in the entry for 30th August.

After its extremely successful return to the stage at the end of August, it is surprising that the Admiral's Men have waited two weeks before performing it again. I wonder whether this enormous play, with its huge number of characters, its action set-pieces and its intense costume demands, may have had some teething troubles that needed ironing out?

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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12 September, 1594 - Belin Dun

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 11 of septmbȝ 1594 ... R at bellendon ...  xxiiij^s vj^d


In modern English: [12^th] September, 1594 ... Received at Belin Dun ... 24 shillings and sixpence

A highwayman portrayed in Richard

Head's The English Rogue (1666)

Today, the Admiral's Men once again performed Belin Dun, their lost play about the notorious robber who terrorized the highways around Dunstable during the reign of King Henry I; you can read more about this play in the entry for 10 June.

Belin Dun continues to be performed almost weekly, but despite a small uptick today, its box office is not what it once was. It's a play that has had its day.

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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11 September, 1594 - Galiaso

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 10 of septmbȝ 1594 ... R at galiaso ... xxv^s  

In modern English: [11^th] September, 1594 ... Received at Galiaso ... 25 shillings

A Spanish galleass, one possible subject of this
play. From Ships Through the Ages by Frederick
Leonard King (1934)

Today, the Admiral's Men revived their lost play Galiaso. We do not know what this play was about, as its title could refer to many historical and fictional figures, or even to a kind of ship. You can read more about it in the entry for 28 June.

The players have ignored the struggling Galiaso for more than two weeks, and it continues to receive unimpressive box office, albeit a bit better than last time's. The company must be considering whether to phase it out.

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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10 September, 1594 - Mahamet

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 9 of septmbȝ 1594 ... R at mahemett ... xxxv^s

In modern English: [10^th] September, 1594 ... Received at Mahamet ... 35 shillings

1629 Portuguese illustration of the Battle of Alcazar

Today, the company returned to Mahamet, which may survive today as The Battle of Alcazar. If so, it was a popular old play that told the story of Abd el-Malik's struggle for the throne of Morocco against the vicious usurper Muly Mahamet; you can read more about it in the entry for 21st February, 1592.

The company seems to be staging Mahamet at intervals of a week and a half. It continues to receive very solid box office, and is doing a lot better than many of the newer plays in the repertory.

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!