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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 7h

This week in REP we shall be reading The Knight of Malta by John Fletcher, Nathan Field & Philip Massinger, as performed in 1618 by The King’s Men (Shakespeare’s company before his retirement). #ShakespeareSunday

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Dr Ella Hawkins @ellamchawk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Elizabethan playhouses were supplied by a network of tailors, merchants & craftswomen. Their names survive in records, but little is known about their lives. I’m working on new research that brings the stories of these makers & traders centre stage. Here is the project in biscuit (cookie) form. 🍪

A photograph of eight rectangular biscuits (cookies) arranged in two rows on a square white plate. The plate is framed on all sides by a trailing vine pattern in green with pops of red. The biscuits are mostly in shades of ivory, cream, yellow, and grey, with a burst of vivid red and blue in one corner of the arrangement. Moving across the top row of biscuits from left to right, the designs include: neat lines of handwritten names in an early modern parish register; a section of a hand-drawn map from 1561 featuring St Paul’s Cathedral, with street names like ‘Carter Lane’ visible in a tiny spiky font; an extract of text from a funerary monument printed in an early modern book, ending ‘So transitory is our glory’; a section of embroidery from a funeral pall featuring metallic silver armour, crossed gold keys, and two hands holding up a crown. The biscuit designs on the bottom row include: horses prancing past shopfronts on Cheapside in the mid-sixteenth century; a receipt written in early modern secretary hand, which is difficult to read; a portrait of a stern-looking women dressed in a ruff, pearls, and sober dark clothing; swirling calligraphy and dense secretary hand featuring on a will dating from 1638.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

REP returns with a full schedule this week. Mon: Palaeography session Tue: The Playmakers continue to write new work for the old company, currently featuring a suspiciously red-headed beggar. Wed: We read The Merry Devil of Edmonton by Dekker & Webster, revived by The King’s Men in 1618.

THE
MERRY DEVILL
EDMONTON.
As it hath beene sundry times Acted, by his Maieslies Seruants, at the Globe, on the banke-fide.

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Ashmolean Museum, Oxford @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

While wearing chopines, women had to walk slowly and sometimes had to be helped by servants. But the shoes did give women a more imposing stature, and tall, highly-decorated pairs were often associated with high status. Chopines, 1580–1620. Leather, silk, and silver brocade. AN1685.B.293

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Ashmolean Museum, Oxford @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The distinctive feature of a chopine was the very thick soles which were usually made of cork or wood. The soles of these chopines are 65mm at their highest, but some worn in Venice, Italy, were over 50 centimetres tall.

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Ashmolean Museum, Oxford @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This is a beautiful example of a pair of late 16th — early 17th-century chopines. A chopine is a women’s platform-style shoe that was popular in Europe, especially in Venice and Spain, from the 15th to 17th centuries.

A pair of leather, silk and silver brocade chopines.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Reading Early Plays returns on 30th September, rejoining the King’s Men Company in 1618, with a revival of The Merry Devil of Edmonton, introduced (as are all our play readings) by Dr. Martin Wiggins. See www.readingearlyplays.com for our full Autumn schedule and how to join & read with us.

readingearlyplays.com

Welcome | Reading Early Plays

Reading Early Plays is a group that meets regularly online to explore drama written before the closure of the London theatres in 1642. We are interested in tracing the connections within groups of pla...

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David McInnis @dnmcinnis.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Pretty excited to finally have a hard copy of Georgie Lucas’s first monograph in my hands! Congrats Georgie!! *Massacres in Early Modern Drama* is out now in our Revels Plays Companion Library series: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526147318/ #Marlowe

A hardback copy of Georgina Lucas’s book (black and green cover), Massacres in Earl Modern Drama, held next to the blood-red flowers of a native Australian plant: Calothamnus quadrifidus, commonly known as one-sided bottlebrush

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Tonight in REP we leave the King’s Men behind and finish our season reading All’s Lost By Lust (1619) by William Rowley, in our special request slot.

A
TRAGEDY
CALLED.
ALLS LOST
BY
L V S T.
Writen by William Rowley.
Divers times Acted by the Lady Elizabeths
SERVANTS.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

“The Lord Mayor hath taken his oath, is seated in his barge again …” Tonight in REP: a special selection of Lord Mayors’ pageants (1612-18) - texts prepared for reading by Gerald Baker.

Er… a figure with a crown and sceptre sat on an enormous leopard, mounted on a large box with five people, some carrying arrows, walking alongside.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

We’re taking a special interest in revivals at the moment in REP, and this new book has contributions from old friends & current members of our group. We look forward to reading it.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

This week in REP we read The Elder Brother, performed by the King’s Men in 1618. Will the character played by Richard Burbage be given time offstage around Act 4, or has the arrival of younger actors diluted his stage time so that he no longer needs his traditional break? #ShakespeareSunday

Photo of a World Cup game:
TIME FOR
Richard Burbadge
HYDRATION BREAK
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

“Let me have men about me that are fat” - like honest, honest Iago.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Tonight in REP we return to reading The Winter’s Tale, marking its revival by The King’s Men in 1618.

From the title page of the play in Shakespeare’s First Folio

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Tonight in REP we read Thierry & Theodoret (1617/18) in which Brunhild is taxed with hot tainters (and I think we all know how that feels at the moment).

THE TRAGEDY
OF
Thierry and Theodoret.
Altus Primus.
Scæna Prima.
Enter Theodoret, Brunbalt, Bawd[b]er.
BRUNHALT.
TAxe me with the se h to o ntain ?
You are too sudain ;

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

While we at REP continue to read the plays of The King’s Men, Dr Héloïse Sénéchal writes here about one of the King’s Women: [this post is an emended version of an earlier slightly erroneous one, now deleted]

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Tonight in REP we read Rollo, Duke of Normandy, as performed by The King’s Men in 1617.

Title page of the play: (“Acted by His Majesty’s Servants. Written by John Fletcher, Gent.”)

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Shakespeare Institute @shakesinstitute.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Open day at the Shakespeare Institute! What a treat to have a taster lecture from Professor Ewan Fernie (of TV documentary fame!) who is intellectually revisiting 1606; considering the plays that were being written at the time. #Shakespeare #shakespeareinstitute #openday #1606

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Callan Davies @callanjd.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

On Shakespeare and surveys and maps. Ingredients for a theatrical history… open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...

open.substack.com

Navigating Shakespearean History

A meditation on mapping and the surveys of Ralph Treswell

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Tonight in REP we resume our readings of The King’s Men repertoire, marking the 1617 revival of The Alchemist (in our own reduced version, meaning we can begin at the usual time of 7.30pm despite Ben Jonson.) - and coming this season: Dukes, Duchesses & Queens, from Normandy, Malfi, Corinth & more

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

A reminder to REP members that despite our text of Volpone being a bespoke reduced version for the King’s Men 1617 revival - known as the #SlimNano edit - we are still starting at 7pm UK time (because Ben Jonson)

Cast list from the 1607 edition of Volpone

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Tonight in REP we read The Chances written by John Fletcher for The King’s Men in 1617

The Chances.
ACT I SCENE I.
Enter Peter and Anthony; (two Servingmen
Peter. WOuld we were removd from this Town ( Anthony)
That we might taste some quiet: for mine own part,
I'm almost melted with continual trotting
After Enguiries, Dreams, and Revelations,

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

This week in REP: Monday: Our palaeographers count the costs of herbs & flowers. Tuesday: Our playmakers are writing songs for beggars. Wednesday: We’re reading Court Masques again.

a manuscript fragment, a song fragment, the title of a masque.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

A reminder for REP members: tonight’s reading of The Devil Is An Ass begins at the earlier time of 7pm (because Ben Jonson).

Title page of The Devil Is An Ass:
A COMEDIE ACTED IN THE YEARE, 1616.
BY HIS MAIESTIES SERVANTS.
The Author BEN: IONSON.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

The actors listed on the playbill are the actual actors from the film (an in-joke from the props dept, I’d guess). It’s only on screen long enough to register “tragedy” and “Hamlet” which are important for the plot.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

So, it looks as if we at REP are going to have to revise our opinions as to who played who in the original production of Hamlet. #Hamnet #Shakespeare

A playbill, partially covered by someone’s hand:

THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S MEN
At the Globe Theatre, Bankside
Maiden St. LONDON
This present WEDNESDAY. September 22. 1599
A PERFORMANCE
Tragedie of
HAMLET.
Hamlet by a Mr. JUPE
Being his firs
(Being his firft Appearance on the Stage)
King
Mr. MASON
Horatio
by Mr. GO
Francifco
by Mr. GI
Laertef
by Mr. RUS.
The Fool
Mr. MARZAN
Marcellus
Mr. SHALLOU
Bernardo
by Mr. ALTIN
by THE PLAYWRIG
by Mr. SIMONS
by Mr. TENNO

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

In REP this week: Monday - our Palaeography group will transcribe rates of pay for Tudor carpenters Tuesday- the Playmakers will irked to discover that the word “anonymity” isn’t recorded before 1695 Wednesday - we read The Widow, which probably isn’t written by two of the people mentioned here.

Part of a manuscript; some line from a play in a word processor app; the cover of a Jacobean play, claiming to be written by Ben Johnson, John Fletcher & Tho. Middleton.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

In REP this week: Monday: our palaeography group will continue to work on documents of the Tudor Revels Office. Tuesday: our Playmakers mind their “yous” & “thous” whilst writing more scenes for The Cunning Florentines. Wednesday: we read Love’s Cure, as performed by the King’s Men in 1613.

A piece of manuscript with words, a spreadsheet of character names, the title page of Love’s Cure.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

REP returns to action this week. Monday: our palaeography group continues to work on documents of the Tudor Revels Office. Tuesday: our Playmakers will write more scenes for a brand new play from 1616, “The Cunning Florentines”. Wednesday: we read the Somerset Wedding Masques of 1613/14.

Three columns of text from a manuscript, a newly written play and a Jacobean printed book.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

No REP reading tonight, as we begin a Christmas break. On January 7th we return with another season of King’s Men’s plays, starting in 1613, and including Court Masques, Witches, Widows, Mad Lovers, plus a revival of Macbeth as the only extant sign of the company’s former writer in residence.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Yes, always causes confusion as it is the same week we start a new season of readings of Early Modern drama after the Christmas break.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Tonight in REP we read Bonduca, a British tragedy by John Fletcher, performed by The King’s Men in 1614.

The Scene Britain.
The Principal Actors were
Richard Burbadge,
William Ostler,
Henry Condel,
John Lowin,
William Eglestone,
John Underwood,
Nich. Toolie,
Richard Robinson.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

“Pray thee, why dost thou wrap thy poison'd pills / In gold and sugar?” - tonight in REP we read John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi, as performed by the King’s Men in 1613.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Stars and Statues Made Human, Olympian Knights, Princes of Virginia! This Wednesday in REP we read three masques for the Lady Elizabeth’s Wedding in 1613. - written by Chapman & Beaumont, designs by Inigo Jones, music by Johnson, Coprario & Confesse No Farthingales May Be Worn

From the title page of The Memorable Maske 1613
For more information see readingearlyplays.com

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

“Had I plantation of this isle, my lord … And were the king on’t, what would I do?” - Tonight in REP we will have an AGM at 7pm, followed by a reading of The Tempest to mark its 1612/13 revival by The Kings’ Men.

A scene from “The Tempest”. From “The Library Shakspeare, Volume One - Comedies”, illustrated by Sir John Gilbert, George Cruikshank and R. Dudley. Published in London by William Mackenzie, c1882.

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Shakespeare Institute @shakesinstitute.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

The Shakespeare Institute Players are currently in China, touring English-translated extracts from The Peony Pavilion, a great classic written by #TangXianzu, #Shakespeare's Chinese contemporary! What an experience.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Tonight we read The Maid's Tragedy by Beaumont and Fletcher (marking its revival by The King’s Men in 1612/13) - no difficulties finding a text, as we will be reading from group leader Martin Wiggins’ own edition of the play.

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS
OXFORD ENGLISH DRAMA
Four JACOBEAN SEX
TRAGEDIES

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

We hope Princess Elizabeth & Frederick V turned up on time for the King’s Men 1613 revival of Othello, performed in celebration of their wedding (we know; not a great wedding play!) If they wanted to attend REP’s reading of the play they’d need to be there at 7pm not 7.30 (it’s a long play).

Image cropped from the First Folio edition of Othello

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

On Wednesday, the 1612 revival of Henry IV Part Two will follow our last week’s reading of Part One, as the King’s Men find the retiring Shakespeare still looking over their collective shoulders. #ShakespeareSunday

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

This week we resume our chronological reading of the plays of the King’s Men: Shakespeare is nearly done with writing, but the company is not done with his plays. So we begin with their 1612 revival of Henry IV Part 1 #ShakespeareSunday

media.tenor.com

a man with a beard is holding a piece of paper in his hand .

Alt: a man with a beard is holding a piece of paper in his hand; he looks as we imagine Shakespeare might; with his quill he seems to be conducting music

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

The new season of REP play-readings kicks off with 1 Henry IV at 7.30 p.m. on 24 September, and will feature the King’s Men repertory of 1612-14, including The Duchess of Malfi, Valentinian and several Shakespearean revivals. - see the full autumn schedule here: www.readingearlyplays.com

readingearlyplays.com

Welcome | Reading Early Plays

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

While our playreading sessions are on summer break our playmakers are wrestling with complex questions such as “How do you retrieve the headless corpse of a relative from a heavily guarded Venetian piazza?” The answer, of course, involves sailors, friars, devils and The Cunning Florentines.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

“The soliloquies were rather ingeniously achieved by allowing the actor to smoke his pipe silently, while a low voice whispered his thoughts.” - Julius Caesar in modern dress on British television in 1938.

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Reading Early Plays (REP) @playsrep.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

UPDATED: the trailer for our Playmakers’ newest writing project, now with a title reveal! (really not #ShakespeareSunday !)

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