28 June, 1596 - The Blind Beggar of Alexandria

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 1596 ... R at the beager ... xix^s

In modern English: [28^th] June, 1596 ... Received at The Beggar ... 19 shillings

Beggars in Alexandria; an undated photograph
from Brooklyn Museum's Lantern Slide Collection

Today is St Peter's Eve, a time for evening bonfires echoing Midsummer's Eve. The Admiral's Men have revived The Blind Beggar of Alexandria, a comedy by George Chapman about a master of disguise. You can read more about this play in the entry for 12 February.

Despite its popularity, the company has opted to rest The Blind Beggar for three and a half weeks. But the result is not an even bigger audience than usual, but rather a slump. The company must be disappointed.

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)

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