7 December, 1596 - Vortigern

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 1596 ... R at valteger ... xxxv^s 

In modern English: [7^th] December, 1596 ... Received at Vortigern ... 35 shillings

Today, the Admiral's Men performed Vortigern

Vortigern in his burning
castle. From a 14th-century
manuscript of Peter of
Langtoft's Chronicle of
England.  

, their play about the legendary British king whose actions brought about the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain. you can read more about this play in the entry for 4th December. 

This is the second outing for Vortigern after its premiere a few days ago. The company records no performance of any play in the intervening days; this month of December 1596 is full of such mysterious silences that cannot be explained.

Perhaps there are problems occurring within the playhouse. But nonetheless, Vortigern has received respectable box office today, attracting an audience that has filled half the theatre.

What's next?

There will be another mysterious quiet day at the Rose tomorrow. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on the 9th. 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!