24 May, 1592 - The Comedy of Hieronimo

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

Henslowe writes: R at the comodey of Jeronymo the 12 21 maye 1592 ... xxviij^s 

In modern English: Received at The Comedy of Hieronimo, 24^th May, 1592 ... 28 shillings

Today, Lord Strange's Men gave another performance of The Comedy of Hieronimo, which they had not staged for over a month. This lost play, also known as The Spanish Comedy of Don Horatio, was most likely about the events leading up to those in Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy (you can read more about it in the entry for 23rd February). Today's performance received rather weak box office.

Tomorrow, Lord Strange's Men will perform The Spanish Tragedy, thereby staging the two plays consecutively in order to emphasize their linked narratives. something they have occasionally done in the past. In previous entries, I have wondered whether the Comedy was more popular when performed in tandem with the Tragedy. I think the data below confirms that it made no difference whatsoever.

• Wednesday, 23rd February - 13 shillings and sixpence (performed as an individual play)
• Monday, 13th March - 29 shillings (performed the day before The Spanish Tragedy)
• Wednesday, 30th March - 39 shillings (performed the day before The Spanish Tragedy)
• Monday, 10th April - 28 shillings (performed as an individual play)
• Saturday, 22nd April - 17 shillings  (performed one working day before The Spanish Tragedy, but with a Sunday intervening)
• Wednesday, 24th May - 28 shillings (performed the day before The Spanish 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?

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