25 June, 1595 - Caesar and Pompey

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 25 of June 1595 ... R at the j pte of seaser ... xxij^s 

In modern English: 25^th June, 1595 ... Received at The First Part of Caesar ... 22 shillings

Detail from Caesar Contemplating
the Head of Pompey
by Tiepolo (1746)

Today, the Admiral's Men returned to Caesar and Pompey after a three-month absence from the stage, but have now retitled it The First Part of Caesar in order to form a two-part play with the sequel that they premiered last week. This part probably dramatized the civil war that erupted in Ancient Rome between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. You can read more about it in the entry for 8th November, 1594.

It seems like a great idea: take an old play, give it a sequel, and turn them into a two-parter to excite the public. However, today's box office for the revamped 'Part One' is not impressive, and the company will never perform it again. Farewell, Caesar and Pompey!

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!