10 December, 1595 - Longshanks

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 10 of desembȝ  1595 ... R at prynce longshanke ... xxx^s 

In modern English: 10^th December, 1595 ... Received at Prince Longshank ... 30 shillings

Portrait of Edward I in
Westminster Abbey

Today, the Admiral's Men returned to Longshanks, their lost play about King Edward I of England; you can read more about it in the entry for 29 August.

The company has broken with its habit of performing Longshank every three weeks and has returned to it after only two - and has received higher box office than usual.

This is an intriguing entry, because just for once, Henslowe calls the play Prince Longshank, instead of his usual Longshank. This entry has led some scholars to wonder whether the play might have been about the exploits of the young Edward, who fought in the Crusades before he was king.

What's next? 

There will be no blog entry tomorrow because for some reason Henslowe records no performance on 11th December. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 12th. 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?

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

8 December, 1595 - Harry V

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 8 of desembȝ 1595 ... R at hary the v ... xxix^s 

In modern English: 8^th December, 1595 ... Received at Harry V ... 29 shillings

King Henry V, posthumous portrait
(late 16th or early 17th century)

Today, the Admiral's Men returned to Harry V, their play about King Henry V of England, who, according to legend, gave up a dissolute lifestyle and led his country to victory against the French at the Battle of Agincourt before his untimely death. You can read more about this play in the entry for 28 November.

For its third performance, the players have quickly returned Harry V to the stage in under a week. Its box office is again merely average, but that is still good enough in this lean time of the year.

What's next?

For some reason, Henslowe records no performance tomorrow. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 10th. 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?

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

6 December, 1595 - Crack Me This Nut

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 6 of desembȝ 1595 ... R at Crack me this nvtt ... xv shillings


In modern English: 6^th December, 1595 ... Received at Crack Me This Nut ... 15 shillings

Dessert Still Life by Georg Flegel (1566-1638)

Today, the Admiral's Men returned to Crack Me This Nut. We know nothing about the content of this lost play, but you can read more about it in the entry for 5th September.

The company has waited a week and a half to revive Crack Me This Nut. It box office had plateaued at around 25 shillings for a while, but has now started to decline.

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow because 7 December was a Sunday in 1595 and the players did not perform. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 8th - 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?

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

4 December, 1595 - The Wonder of a Woman

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 4 of desembȝ 1595 ... R at wonder of a womon ... xiiij^s 

In modern English: 4^th December, 1595 ... Received at Wonder of a Woman ... 14 shillings

Artemesia Gentileschi, Allegory of
Fame (early 1630s)

Today, the Admiral's Men revived The Wonder of a Woman. You can read more about this lost play in the entry for 16 October.

The players have waited two weeks to revive The Wonder of a Woman, but its box office is now already in the doldrums.

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow, because, for unknown reasons, no performance is recorded at the Rose on 5th December. We're entering a stretch of the Diary in which numerous days do not have performances recorded, a situation that will continue throughout December. We do not know whether the Rose was literally empty that day, or whether Henslowe's records are in error.

 Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 6th; 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?

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

3 December, 1595 - Barnardo and Philametta

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 3 of desembȝ  1595 ... R at barnardo ... vij^s 

In modern English: 3^rd December, 1595  ... Received at Barnardo ... 7 shillings

Portrait of a couple by an unknown French artist, c.1610

Today, the Admiral's Men revived Barnardo and Philametta, a lost play on an unknown subject; you can read more about it in the entry for 30 October.

Barnardo and Philametta continues to receive catastrophically awful box office. One cannot help suspect that it will not remain long 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!

2 December, 1595 - Harry V

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 2 of desembȝ 1595 ... R at harey the v ... xxxv^s 

In modern English: 2^nd December, 1595 ... Received at Harry V ... 35 shillings

King Henry V, posthumous portrait
(late 16th or early 17th century)

Today, the Admiral's Men returned to Harry V, their play about King Henry V of England, who, according to legend, gave up a dissolute lifestyle and led his country to victory against the French at the Battle of Agincourt before his untimely death. You can read more about this play in the entry for 28 November.

The players have rushed Harry V back to the stage, following its very successful premiere. Today the audience size is merely average, but that in itself is probably a relief, since the company's new plays have been quite disastrous of late.

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 December,1595 - A Toy to Please Chaste Ladies

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 31 of novmbȝ 1595 ... R at the toye to please chaste ladeyes ... xij^s 

In modern English: [1^st December, 1595] ... Received at The Toy to Please Chaste Ladies ... 12 shillings

Two Women at a Window by Murillo (1655-60)

Today, the Admiral's Men returned to A Toy to Please Chaste Ladies, an enigmatic lost play; you can read more about it in the entry for 14 November.

It is the first day of December, and we are now entering the period known as Advent, a period traditionally associated with fasting before Christmas. Although theatre was obviously still permitted, it's likely that a lot of Londoners would have felt guilty about attending during this time.

Perhaps this explains the disastrous box office of this third performance of A Toy to Please Chaste Ladies, which appears not to have pleased many ladies at all, chaste or otherwise.

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!