29 June, 1597 - Alexander and Lodowick

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

Henslowe writes: S petters daye | 29 | tt at elexsander & lodwick ... | 01 | 02

In modern English: St Peter's Day ... 29^th [June, 1597] ... received at Alexander and Lodowick ... £1 and 2 shillings [i.e. 22 shillings]

A very generic illustration accompanying the
printed text of the ballad of The Two Faithful
Friends: The Pleasant History of Alexander
and Lodowick

Today is St Peter's Day, a holy festival. On this special day, the Admiral's Men have chosen to revive Alexander and Lodowick, a lost play about two friends who swap places. You can read more about this play in the entry for 14 January. 

This is the first time the company has performed Alexander and Lodowick in over a month. The box office is somewhat improved, perhaps owing to the festive occasion. 

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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29 June, 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 26 of June 1596 ... R at  1 pte of tambercame ... xxx^s

In modern English: [29^th] June, 1596 ... Received at First Part of Tamar Cam ... 30 shillings

Today is St Peter's Day, a special day in the church calendar. The Admiral's Men have 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.

The company has returned to Tamar Cam after a week and a half, and the box office continues to be solid, suggesting that the company's adding of the sequel to their repertory is maintaining interest in Part One.

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?

Did I make a mistake? Do you have a question? Have you anything to add? Please post a comment below!

29 June, 1594 - Cutlack

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

Henslowe writes: y^e 27 of June 1594 ... R at cvttlacke ... xxxvj^s

In modern English: [29^th] June, 1594 ... Received at Cutlack ... 36 shillings.

Illustration of Belinus (or Brennius, it's not clear)
from Holinshed's Chronicles (1577)

Today is St Peter's Day, a special day in the church calendar. The Admiral's Men have revived Cutlack, their play about the eponymous Danish king and his intervention in the civil war between the British kings Brennius and Belinus. You can read more about this play in the entry for 16 May, 1594.

The company last performed Cutlack only three days ago, when it had attracted a fairly small  audience. Today's performance produced a bigger audience, of an average size for the Rose; perhaps the festive occasion has helped. Although Cutlack is not breaking any records, it is doing well for a such a frequently-staged play.

What's next?

There will be no blog entry tomorrow because 30 June was a Sunday in 1594. Henslowe's Diary ... as a Blog! will thus return on 1 July for a week that will see the Admiral's Men start to settle into a groove.

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!