Elizabethan Theatre
Philip Henslowe's diary has been recreated online, and you can explore a day-by-day narrative about theatre in London.
Henslowe’s Diary is a journal written by Philip Henslowe between 1592-1609 detailing his many financial matters, including details about the operation of his theatrical business. This manuscript is the single greatest illuminator of the history of English Renaissance theatre.
AN ERA OF NO PERFORMANCES
From 1592 to 1593, theatres in London were closed as an attempt to ward off The Plague. They closed again in 1597 as "punishment" for an offensive production of Isle of Dogs.
On March 19, 1603, when it was apparent that Queen I Elizabeth was nearing death, the Privy Council ordered the restraint of all stage plays until they should direct otherwise. This order seems to have blended without interruption into the usual suspension of playing within the city during an outbreak of the plague, which began the following month and raged for the rest of the year; indeed, it is far from certain that any further performances took place in London until after a general re-authorization was made at the end of Lent 1604. ("The Question of Authority" by Richard Dutton in Mastering the Revels.)
These periodic closings contributed to Marlowe's difficulty in seeing Doctor Faustus onstage, and to our knowledge of when he did. The delays inevitably helped cause the time lapse between production and publication, as the actors would have been involved in helping to remember the text accurately.
Shall We Play a Game?
ASTROLOGASTER. Part visual novel, part play, and part video game, you can spend time in Elizabethan England. Solve problems, perform astrology, and meet a variety of people of the day.
Click to visit the game's home page and play via the App Store, Steam, or Nintendo Switch.