Did you know that before Shakespeare’s famous “Hamlet”, there may have been another?
On this day in Tudor history, 15th August 1594, playwright Thomas Kyd was buried in London, aged just 36.
He’s not a household name, not like William Shakespeare anyway, but he wrote “The Spanish Tragedy”, one of the biggest theatrical hits of the Elizabethan age, being performed 29 times at the Rose Theatre and published in 11 editions, more than any of Shakespeare’s plays at the time.
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On this day in history, 13th March 1619, the stage lost one of its greatest stars. Richard Burbage, Shakespeare’s leading man, the original Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear, breathed his last at the age of fifty.
But Burbage wasn’t just an actor. He was a theatre pioneer, a close friend of Shakespeare, and a man whose talent defined the golden age of English drama.
So, who was he?
Richard Burbage was born in 1568, baptised in London’s St. Stephen’s Church on 7th July. His father, James Burbage, was an actor and entrepreneur, and young Richard grew up surrounded by the world of performance.
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He was the grandson of Mary Boleyn, the husband of Elizabeth Spencer, and a trusted courtier of Elizabeth I. But George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon, wasn’t just another nobleman, he was a key figure in the world of Elizabethan theatre, a patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, and a man who rose to one of the most powerful positions at court.
Today, let’s dive into the fascinating life of George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon; his Boleyn connections, his military career, and his role in shaping the golden age of Elizabethan theatre.
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On this day in Tudor history, 1st September, Henry VIII elevated Anne Boleyn to the peerage, making her Marquess of Pembroke; and Elizabethan actor and theatre entrepreneur Edward Alleyn was born…
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On this day in Tudor history, 25th July 1602, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, thirteen-year-old actor Salomon Pavy was buried at the Church of St Mary Somerset, near Blackfriars Theatre.
It is thought that Salomon was abducted to serve as an actor in the Children of Paul’s, for in 1601 when four men were accused of abducting another boy to serve as an actor, the name “Salmon Pavey, apprentice” was mentioned as a past abductee.
Salomon later joined the Children of the Queen’s Revels at the Blackfriars Theatre and had parts in plays by Ben Jonson.
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On this day in history, 29th June 1613, in the reign of King James I, the Elizabethan playhouse, the Globe Theatre burned to the ground.
The Globe, which had been built on Bankside in London in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, William Shakespeare’s playing company, sadly perished due to a cannon misfiring and setting fire to the wooden beams and thatching during a performance of Shakespeare’s “Henry VIII”.
It was rebuilt in 1614 but closed in 1642 and was demolished in 1644/5.
In 1987, American director and actor, Sam Wanamaker, built a replica of the theatre, using records from 1599 and 1614, as a memorial to the original globe. Visitors today can enjoy its exhibition, which brings bring the Elizabethan world of Shakespeare to life, or watch a play there.
Here’s a video from our archives with some photos I took when I visited The Globe a few years ago:
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On this day in Tudor history, 29th March 1591, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, playwright and Church of England clergyman William Wager was buried at the church where he was rector, St Benet Gracechurch.
I was drawn to him simply because of the titles of two of his plays, “Enough is as Good as a Feast” and “The Longer thou Livest the More Fool thou art”, which have been described as polemical Protestant interludes. I love those titles!
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On this day in Tudor history, 13th March 1619, actor and star of Shakespeare’s Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the King’s Men, Richard Burbage, died aged fifty.
Burbage performed with William Shakespeare and is named in Shakespeare’s will of 1616 as a “fellow”, meaning a close friend or colleague.
Let me give you a few facts about this Elizabethan actor…
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On this day in history, 25th July 1602, in the reign of King James I, thirteen-year-old Elizabethan actor Salomon Pavy was buried at the Church of St Mary Somerset, near Blackfriars Theatre.
Find out more about Salomon Pavy and how he came to be an actor in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts…
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On this day in Tudor history, 1st September 1566, Edward Alleyn, a major figure in the Elizabethan theatre, was born in the parish of St Botolph without Bishopsgate, London, and baptised the following day.
In today’s talk, I share some facts about Edward Alleyn, including his personal life, the plays he was involved in, his theatre investments, and his desire to be appointed master of the bears, bulls and mastiff dogs!
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On this day in history, 16th March 1619, actor Richard Burbage was buried at St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch.
Burbage was a famous actor in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, peforming for royalty and even being in King James’ company of players. Burbage was also a good friend of William Shakespeare, and the two men were involved in the building of the famous Globe Theatre.
Find out more about Richard Burbage, his life and career, in today’s talk.
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On this day in Tudor history, 19th February 1592, the Rose Theatre, an Elizabethan play house built by Philip Henslowe, was opened on Bankside in London.
Plays performed at the theatre included Shakespeare’s “Henry VI Part 1” and “Titus Andronicus”, Kyd’s “Spanish Tragedy”, and Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus”, “The Jew of Malta” and “Tamburlaine the Great”. But, unfortunately, the Rose Theatre was abandoned by 1605.
Find out more about the Rose Theatre in today’s talk.
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This week’s puzzle to get those little grey cells working is a wordsearch. Not only do you have to find the words (and they can be in any direction – ha ha!) but you have to solve the clues first. This wordsearch tests your knowledge of the Elizabethan Theatre. Good luck!
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