25 July, 1596 - closed until October 27

The Privy Council in 1604. Detail
from The Somerset House Conference

On this day, 424 years ago, the Rose playhouse was forced to close for several months. The Privy Council of England was concerned about the return of the plague that had devastated London a couple of years previously. On 22nd July, they ordered an end to the performing of plays, as a way of preventing large gatherings of people.

As I write today in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced theatres to close around the world, the words of the Privy Council in 1596 sound as though they could have been written yesterday:

Letters to the justices of Middlesex and Surrey to restrain the players from showing or using any plays or interludes in the places usual about the City of London, for that by drawing of much people together increase of sickness is feared.

As they had so often done before, the Admiral's Men stayed in business by laving London and undergoing an epic tour of England; places they may have visited during this period include Coventry, Ipswich, Oxford, Bath, and Dunwich. They returned to the Rose in October. 

This blog will thus be on hiatus until 27 October. When we return, look forward to a new season featuring many new plays! See you then!

FURTHER READING

Theatre closure information

• Carol Chillington Rutter, Documents of the Rose Playhouse (Manchester University Press, 1984), 104.

Touring information

• Andrew Gurr, Shakespeare's Opposites (Cambridge University Press, 2009), 290.

Comments?

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24 July, 1596 - The Tinker of Totnes

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 18 of July 1596 ... ne ... R at the tyncker of totnes ... iij^ll 

In modern English: [24^th] July, 1596 ... New ... Received at The Tinker of Totnes ... £3.

Today, the Admiral's Men premiered a new play! The Tinker of Totnes received a large audience but, strangely enough, it will never be performed again. The text is lost, and we do not know what the eponymous tinker got up to in the town of Totnes.

The Tinker by Alphonse Legros (1874)

A tinker was an itinerant artisan who specialized in mending objects made from light metals such as tin. 

The Lost Plays Database article on this play suggests that tinkers in Elizabethan literature had a reputation for being rascally thieves, although it also quotes a passage from a tale about a virtuous tinker who plays music.

The 'Brutus Stone' in
Totnes marks the spot where
the mythical founder of
Britain landed.

As for Totnes, it is a small town on an estuary in Devon. In Elizabethan times it was known as a place where people might arrive when travelling to England.

In the fanciful history of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Totnes is the landing place of Brutus, the mythical Trojan who supposedly founded London. In the town today is a stone known as the "Brutus Stone" which purports to be the spot upon which Brutus first stepped. 

Geoffrey also reports that Totnes was where Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur, landed when preparing to confront Vortiger, who had usurped the British throne. 

It's possible, then, to speculate that The Tinker of Totnes was a tale of legendary Britain, perhaps with a comic subplot about a wily tinker. But that's just a guess.

Today's premiere of The Tinker of Totnes was very successful, bringing a huge crowd to the Rose. But it is all for naught. Tomorrow, the Rose will be closed (watch this space) and the company will never revive this play, leaving today's performance as its only known appearance on the stage.

FURTHER READING

Tinker of Totnes information

• Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain, Books 1 and 8
• Martin Wiggins, British Drama, 1533-1642: A Catalogue, vol. 3 (Oxford University Press, 2013), entry 1039.
• "Tinker of Totnes, The", Lost Plays Database (2019), accessed July 2020. 

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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23 July, 1596 - Phocas

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 17 of July 1596 ... R at focas ... xxix^s

In modern English: [23^rd] July, 1596 ... Received at Phocas ... 29 shillings

Phocas depicted in Richard
Rainoldes' Chronicle of all the
Noble Emperors of the Romans (1571)

Today, for the last time, the Admiral's Men returned to Phocas, their tragedy about an army officer who became Byzantine emperor and ruled as a tyrant. You can read more about this play in the entry for 20 May.

Phocas is yet another casualty of a week that has seen the last recorded performances of several plays. It premiered only a month ago, and has received seven performances since then, none of which were notably unsuccessful. But for whatever reason, the company will decide not to revive it when they return after the impending closure of the Rose. 

Five plays have existed the repertory in the past fortnight. Just for fun, here's a graph illustrating their respective journeys; you can see their popularity rise and fall.  

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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22 July, 1596 - Troy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 16 of July 1596 ... R at troye ... xxi^s 

In modern English: [22^nd] July, 1596 ... Received at Troy ... 21 shillings

The sacking of Troy, from the title page of Thomas
Heywood's The Second Part of the Iron Age (c.1613)

Today, for the last time, the Admiral's Men performed Troy, their play about the Trojan War. You can read more about this play in the entry for 25 June.

Surprisingly enough, this is the last recorded performance of Troy in Henslowe's Diary. The play premiered only a month ago, and has received only four performances, but despite adequate box office the company seems to have decided to let it go.

You may have noticed an apparent purge of plays in recent days, with Longshanks and Harry V also biting the dust, as if the company has decided to jettison some dead weight. This is a little misleading. What's actually happening is that in a few days time, the Rose will close for a long time. So, the players aren't deciding right now that they will never perform these plays again. Rather, once they return after their long break, they will opt not to revive them. Expect some more farewells very soon!

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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21 July, 1596 - Harry V

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 15 of July 1596 ... R at hary the v ... xxij^s 

In modern English: [21^st] July, 1596 ... Received at Harry V ... 22 shillings

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

Today, for the last time, the Admiral's Men performed 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.

Harry V is back after less than a week, but this is its final appearance in Henslowe's Diary. The play debuted back in November and has been staged thirteen times in total. For the first half of its run, it was a solidly reliable performer, but in recent months it has been less successful, and the company must have decided to put it to rest. Farewell, madcap prince!

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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a

20 July, 1596 - Pythagoras

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 14 of July 1596 ... R at pethagores ... xxij^s 

In modern English: [20^th] July, 1596 ... Received at Pythagoras ... 22 shillings

Pythagoras as portrayed in Raphael's
The School of Athens (1509-11)

Today, for the last time, the Admiral's Men staged Pythagoras, their lost play about the Greek philosopher. You can read more about this play in the entry for 16 January

The company has waited over a month to return Pythagoras to the stage. The box office is holding steady, but this is the play's final record in Henslowe's Diary; it would seem that they have decided to call it a day.

Pythagoras was introduced back in January and has received twelve performances since then. It has been one of the more solid performers at the Rose, never receiving spectacular box office but never doing very poorly either; it is thus surprising to see it go.

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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19 July, 1596 - 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 12 of July 1596 ... m^r pd ... R at the toye ... x^s 

In modern English: [19^th] July, 1596 ... Received at The Toy ... 10 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, 1595.

The company has waited over a month to return this play to the stage. It is normally unpopular and today it has excelled itself, drawing one of this season's smallest audiences.

Today's entry also includes a note that Henslowe paid the license for the Rose to the Master of the Revels; you can read more about this in the entry for 8 November, 1595.

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 July, 1596 - 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 July 1596 ... R at bellendon ...  xxxv^s

In modern English: [16^th] July, 1596 ... Received at Belin Dun ... 35 shillings

A highwayman portrayed in Richard

Head's The English Rogue (1666)

Here's a surprise! Today, for the first time in a year and a half, the Admiral's Men 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.

It had looked as though the company had abandoned Belin Dun. For a long time it had been reliably popular, but then had gradually declined until the company ceased performed it back in November, 1594. Now, they seem to have decided to experiment with bringing it back. 

The experiment has paid off, as the long wait seems to have returned London's enthusiasm for the play; it has drawn an audience that half-filled the Rose, a good result in this rather bleak fortnight. 

What's next?

For some reason, Henslowe records no performance tomorrow, and 18 July was a Sunday. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 19th for a week that will end in catastrophe.

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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15 July, 1596 - Harry V

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 10 of July 1596 ... R at harye the v ... xiiij^s 

In modern English: [15^th] July, 1596 ... Received at Harry V ... 14 shillings

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

Today, the Admiral's Men performed 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 company has waited a month to revive Harry V. After several performances showing an unusual rise in its box office, today's entry shows it plummeting back down again. In general, few plays have attracted big audiences in the last couple of weeks; perhaps the weather is bad. 

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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a

14 July, 1596 - Longshanks

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 9 of July 1596 ... R at longshancke ... xv^s  

In modern English: [14^th] July, 1596 ... Received at Longshanks ... 15 shillings

Portrait of Edward I in
Westminster Abbey

Today, for the last time, 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, 1595.

This is the last recorded performance of Longhanks. The company premiered it just under a year ago, and after a wobbly start it became a reliably solid performer for the remainder of 1595. By 1596, however, its box office has declined considerably and the company seems to have decided not to revive it again. Farewell, King Edward! 

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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13 July, 1596 - The First Part of Tamar Cam

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 8 of July 1596 ... R at  j pte of tambercame ... xiiij^s

In modern English: [13^th] July, 1596 ... Received at First Part of Tamar Cam ... 14 shillings

Today, the Admiral's Men revived Tamar Cam, a lost play that told of war and wizardry during the exploits of the Mongol conqueror Hulagu Khan; you can read more about it in the entry for 28th April 1592.

In keeping with the stand-alone performance of The Second Part a few days ago, this is a stand-alone performance of Part One. This experiment is not helping the box office at all, though; it's descending rapidly. 

Persian illustration of Hulagu Khan (the likely inspiration for Tamar Cam) and his Christian wife

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 July, 1596 - Troy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 7 of July 1596 ... R at troye ... xxix^s 

In modern English: [12^th] July, 1596 ... Received at Troy ... 29 shillings

The sacking of Troy, from the title page of Thomas
Heywood's The Second Part of the Iron Age (c.1613)

Today, the Admiral's Men restaged Troy, their play about the Trojan War. You can read more about this play in the entry for 25 June.

The third performance of Troy is a small improvement on the previous one, and is close to the average for the Rose. 

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 July, 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 5 of July 1596 ... R at the beager ... xvij^s

In modern English: [10^th] July, 1596 ... Received at The Beggar ... 17 shillings

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

Today, the Admiral's Men 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.

For a long time The Blind Beggar has been a reliable provider of large audiences, but no more: like the previous outing, this performance is disappointing.

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow, because 11 July was a Sunday in 1596 and the players did not perform. 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?

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9 July, 1596 - The French Doctor

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 4 July 1596 ... R at frenshe dacter ... xiiij^s 

In modern English: [9^th] July, 1595 ... Received at French Doctor ... 14 shillings

A French Physician
by Matthew Darly, 1771

Today, the Admiral's Men revived The French Doctor, a lost play that you can read more about in the entry for 19 October, 1594.

Henslowe has somehow managed to give this entry the wrong date and from now until the end of the month the Diary will be five days out of sync with reality. Pay attention, Henslowe!

Anyway, today's performance was yet another bizarre reappearance of the reliably unpopular The French Doctor, which the company performances very infrequently these days. It has not been seen since September, yet here it is again, and once again drawing only a small crowd. The whole thing is very puzzling..

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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8 July, 1596 - The Second Part of Tamar Cam

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 8 of July 1596 ... R at  2 p of tambercame ... xxiij^s

In modern English: 8^th July, 1596 .... Received at Second Part of Tamar Cam .. 23 shillings

Today, the Admiral's Men performed The Second Part of Tamar Cam, a lost play that dramatized the exploits of the Mongol conqueror Hulagu Khan;  you can read more about it in the entry for 28th April 1592.

From a 15th century French edition of Marco Polo:
Hulagu (on the left) orders the imprisonment of the
Caliph of Baghdad in his own treasure-vault to starve.

Just over a week after the last performance of The Second Part of Tamar Cam, the company is now experimenting with the play on its own, instead of the day after the first part. This has had no significant effect on box office, however, which remains mediocre.

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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7 July, 1596 - The Wise Man of West Chester

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 7 of July 1596 ... R at wisman of weschester ... xvj^s 

In modern English: 7^th July, 1596 ... Received at Wise Man of West Chester ... 16 shillings

A man, who might possibly be
wise, carved on the choir
stalls of Chester Cathedral

Today, the Admiral's Men revived The Wise Man of West Chester, a lost play that appears to have been about a wizard in the English city of Chester; you can read more about it in the entry for 3 December, 1594.

The company seems to be continuing to perform the once-popular Wise Man of West Chester only once a month. As with a lot of recent performances at the Rose, the box office is disappointing; perhaps we are going through a period of bad weather.

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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6 July, 1596 - The Siege of London

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 6 of July 1596 ... R at sege of london ... xv^s 

In modern English: 6^th July, 1596 ... Received at Siege of London ... 15 shillings

Thomas Neville's siege of London, from a
1391 French manuscript

Today, for the last time, the Admiral's Men staged The Siege of London, an enigmatic lost play that might have portrayed the attacks on London by Canute in 1016 or by Thomas Neville in 1471. You can read more about this play in the entry for 27 December, 1594.

This is the last recorded performance of The Siege of London in Henslowe's Diary. The play has been treated very strangely by the company. They premiered it a year and a half ago, and it initially received good box office and was performed weekly for a while. But, as its box office began to decline, the company began staging it at very long intervals, sometimes with many months between performances. It's a strange thing to do, because the actors would need some effort to refresh their memories of the play each time one of these rare performances came along. Sometimes it's hard to understand their logic. 

Farewell, Siege of London! But there will be more sieges; the Rose audience really likes siege plays. 

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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5 July, 1596 - Phocas

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 5 of July 1596 ... m^r paid ... R at focasse ... xxij^s

In modern English: 5^th July, 1596 ... Master paid ... Received at Phocas ... 22 shillings

Phocas depicted in Richard
Rainoldes' Chronicle of all the
Noble Emperors of the Romans (1571)

Today, the Admiral's Men returned to Phocas, their tragedy about an army officer who became Byzantine emperor and ruled as a tyrant. You can read more about this play in the entry for 20 May.

After receiving a large crowd on Midsummer's Day a couple of weeks ago, it's back to normal for Phocas, with a mediocre showing. 


Today's entry also includes a note that Henslowe paid the license for the Rose to the Master of the Revels; you can read more about this in the entry for 8 November, 1595.

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 July, 1596 - Doctor Faustus

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 3 of July 1596 ... R at fostes... xiiij^s

In modern English: 3^rd July, 1596 ... Received at Faustus ... 14 shillings

Faustus summoning Mephistopheles: from the
1616 text of the play 

Today, the Admiral's Men revived Dr Faustus, Christopher Marlowe's famous tragedy about a scholar who sells his soul to the devil. You can read more about it in the entry for 2 October.

The company has waited three weeks to return Dr Faustus to the stage and it continues to attract only small audiences. This classic seems to be past its sell-by date.

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow because 4 July was a Sunday in 1596 and the players did not perform. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 5th. 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!

2 July, 1596 - Troy

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 2 of Julye 1596 ... R at troye ... xxiiij^s 

In modern English: 2^nd July, 1596 ... Received at Troy ... 24 shillings

The sacking of Troy, from the title page of Thomas
Heywood's The Second Part of the Iron Age (c.1613)

Today, the Admiral's Men restaged Troy, their play about the Trojan War. You can read more about this play in the entry for 25 June.

This is the second performance of Troy and it's a disappointment. After a sell-out show for its premiere, the box office has collapsed, with the theatre less than half full. Perhaps the play did not live up to its promising title.

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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1 July, 1596 - Paradox

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 1 of Junley 1596 ... ne ... R at peth paradox ... xxxxv^s 

In modern English: 1^st July, 1596 ... New ... Received at Paradox ... 45 shillings

The Borromean
Rings, a
paradoxical
object

Today, the Admiral's Men premiered a new play! But this is a puzzling moment in the Diary. The play (now lost) carries the peculiar title of Paradox. And it will never be performed again after today's debut.

Paradox is a strange name for a play. Perhaps it refers to an enigma or difficult puzzle, in which case the play might have been of the same kind as another lost play, Crack Me This Nut, whose title means 'solve this problem for me'.

A paradox could also be an absurd statement. In his article on the play for the Lost Plays Database, David McInnis makes an intriguing observation. A 1607 joke-book entitled Jests to Make You Merry, which contains a "jest" by the playwrights Thomas Dekker and George Wilkins entitled "A Paradox in Praise of Sergeants". Like most jests of this period, it is immensely unfunny. It tells of a spendthrift gentleman in prison who befriends the sergeants watching him and rewards them with a 'paradox': a speech in praise of prisons. He describes prisons as being similar to a private home and as teaching wisdom through experience, and he describes sergeants as "cunning pilots that in all storms bring men safely to these havens of peace and contemplation". How amusing.

The book is too late to be a source for the play, but this jest makes reference to drama throughout (the reprobate gentleman is referred to as a "furious Tamburlaine" at one point) and was written by two playwrights, so it may have some distant connection with the theatre.

But whatever was seen on the Rose stage today, its reception may have been disastrous. Although the promise of a new play seems to have drawn a fairly large audience, but the company will never stage Paradox again. Perhaps it was less funny than a jest-book.

FURTHER READING

Paradox information

• David McInnis, "Paradox", Lost Plays Database (2011), accessed June 2020. 
• Martin Wiggins, British Drama, 1533-1642: A Catalogue, vol. 3 (Oxford University Press, 2013), entry 1038.

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!