King's Men personnel
Encyclopedia
King's Men personnel were the people who worked with and for the Lord Chamberlain's Men
and the King's Men
(for all practical purposes a single continuous theatrical enterprise) from 1594
to 1642
(and after). The company was the major theatrical enterprise of its era and featured some of the leading actors of their generation — Richard Burbage
, John Lowin
, and Joseph Taylor
among others; and some leading clowns and comedians, like Will Kempe
and Robert Armin
. The company benefitted from the services of William Shakespeare
, John Fletcher
, and Philip Massinger
as regular dramatists.
The actors who performed the plays have left the most evidence of their lives and activities; but they were supported by musicians and other functionaries, and were enabled by managers and financial backers like Cuthbert Burbage
.
For more information on specific individuals, see individual entries: Robert Armin
, Christopher Beeston
, Robert Benfield
, etc.
in 1647
, along with Allen, Swanston, and Taylor). The December effort was by Baxter, Blagden, Burt, Clun, Cox, Hall, Kettleby, Loveday, and Charles and William Hart. Neither effort was successful, though groups of King's Men personnel were arrested at least twice in 1648 and 1649 for clandestine acting.
When the King's Company
was formed in 1660
, the troupe included Loveday, Clun, Burt, Blagden, Bird, Baxter, and Charles Hart.
Lord Chamberlain's Men
The Lord Chamberlain's Men was a playing company for whom Shakespeare worked for most of his career. Formed at the end of a period of flux in the theatrical world of London, it had become, by 1603, one of the two leading companies of the city and was subsequently patronised by James I.It was...
and the King's Men
King's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
(for all practical purposes a single continuous theatrical enterprise) from 1594
1594 in literature
-Events:*The London theatres re-open in the spring, after two years of general inactivity due to the bubonic plague epidemic of 1592–94. Many of the actors who used to be Lord Strange's Men form a new organization, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, under the patronage of Henry Carey, 1st Baron...
to 1642
1642 in literature
The year 1642 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*May - John Milton marries Marie Powell.*September 2 - The theatres in London are closed by the Puritan government; the "lascivious mirth and levity" of stage plays are to "cease and be forborn" for the next eighteen years, during...
(and after). The company was the major theatrical enterprise of its era and featured some of the leading actors of their generation — Richard Burbage
Richard Burbage
Richard Burbage was an English actor and theatre owner. He was the younger brother of Cuthbert Burbage. They were both actors in drama....
, John Lowin
John Lowin
John Lowin was an English actor born in the St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London, the son of a tanner. Like Robert Armin, he was apprenticed to a goldsmith. While he is not recorded as a free citizen of this company, he did perform as a goldsmith, Leofstane, in a 1611 city pageant written by...
, and Joseph Taylor
Joseph Taylor (17th-century actor)
Joseph Taylor was a 17th-century actor. As the successor of Richard Burbage with the King's Men, he was arguably the most important actor in the later Jacobean and the Caroline eras....
among others; and some leading clowns and comedians, like Will Kempe
William Kempe
William Kempe , also spelt Kemp, was an English actor and dancer specializing in comic roles and best known for having been one of the original players in early dramas by William Shakespeare...
and Robert Armin
Robert Armin
Robert Armin was an English actor, a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He became the leading comedy actor with the troupe associated with William Shakespeare following the departure of Will Kempe around 1600...
. The company benefitted from the services of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, John Fletcher
John Fletcher (playwright)
John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivalled Shakespeare's...
, and Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes.-Early life:The son of Arthur Massinger or Messenger, he was baptized at St....
as regular dramatists.
The actors who performed the plays have left the most evidence of their lives and activities; but they were supported by musicians and other functionaries, and were enabled by managers and financial backers like Cuthbert Burbage
Cuthbert Burbage
Cuthbert Burbage was an English theatrical figure, son of impresario James Burbage and elder brother of famous actor Richard Burbage...
.
For more information on specific individuals, see individual entries: Robert Armin
Robert Armin
Robert Armin was an English actor, a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He became the leading comedy actor with the troupe associated with William Shakespeare following the departure of Will Kempe around 1600...
, Christopher Beeston
Christopher Beeston
Christopher Beeston was a successful actor and a powerful theatrical impresario in early 17th century London. He was associated with a number of playwrights, particularly Thomas Heywood.-Early life:...
, Robert Benfield
Robert Benfield
Robert Benfield was a seventeenth-century actor, noted for his longtime membership in the King's Men in the years and decades after William Shakespeare's retirement and death.Nothing is known of Benfield's early life...
, etc.
Terms
- "Sharer" — an actor who was a partner in the company and so received a share of the profits, as opposed to a simple "hired man" who earned a wage.
- A "householder" or "housekeeper" was an investor and sharer in one (or both) of the two theatres used by the troupe, the GlobeGlobe TheatreThe Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
and the BlackfriarsBlackfriars TheatreBlackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and...
. (The term "lessee" is also used, since the Globe was built on leased land and the Blackfriars facility was also leased. Partners in the theatres were partners in the leases.) The two theatres were organized separately from the acting company; actors could rise to be "sharers" in the company without being householders in the theatres, and some householders were not actors.
- "Necessary attendant" refers to the hired men on Sir Henry Herbert's list (dated 27 December 1624) of 24 "musicians and other necessary attendants" of the King's Men who could not be arrested or "pressed for soldiers" without the consent of the Master of the RevelsMaster of the RevelsThe Master of the Revels was a position within the English, and later the British, royal household heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels" that originally had responsibilities for overseeing royal festivities, known as revels, and later also became responsible for stage censorship,...
or the Lord ChamberlainLord ChamberlainThe Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
.
- "Principal actor" — The First FolioFirst FolioMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
provided a list of 26 "principal actors" in Shakespeare's plays, down to 16231623 in literatureThe year 1623 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*February 2 - The King's Men perform Twelfth Night at Court on Candlemas....
. The list includes only sharers in the company, and omits hired men.
- S.D.S. — The Seven Deadly SinsThe Seven Deadly Sins (play)The Seven Deadly Sins was a two-part play written c. 1585, attributed to Richard Tarlton, and most likely premiered by his company, Queen Elizabeth's Men...
, probably by Richard TarltonRichard TarltonRichard Tarlton , an English actor, was the most famous clown of his era.His birthplace is unknown, but reports of over a century later give it as Condover in Shropshire, with a later move to Ilford in Essex...
. A production c. 1591 involved a group of players who would later go on to form the Lord Chamberlain's Men.
After 1642
Twice in 1648, in January and December, different groups of former King's Men tried to re-activate the troupe, despite the formal prohibition on play-acting by the Commonwealth regime. The January endeavor involved Benfield, Bird, Clark, Hammerton, Lowin, Pollard, and Robinson (all of whom signed the dedication to the first Beaumont and Fletcher folioBeaumont and Fletcher folios
The Beaumont and Fletcher folios were two large folio collections of the stage plays of John Fletcher and his collaborators. The first was issued in 1647, and the second in 1679. The two collections were important in preserving many works of English Renaissance drama.-The first folio, 1647:The 1647...
in 1647
1647 in literature
The year 1647 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* Thomas Hobbes becomes tutor to the future Charles II of England.* Plagiarist Robert Baron publishes his Deorum Dona, a masque, and Gripus and Hegio, a pastoral, which draw heavily on the poems of Edmund Waller and John Webster's...
, along with Allen, Swanston, and Taylor). The December effort was by Baxter, Blagden, Burt, Clun, Cox, Hall, Kettleby, Loveday, and Charles and William Hart. Neither effort was successful, though groups of King's Men personnel were arrested at least twice in 1648 and 1649 for clandestine acting.
When the King's Company
King's Company
The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 1660 to 1682.-History:...
was formed in 1660
1660 in literature
The year 1660 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* January 1 - Samuel Pepys starts his diary.* February - John Rhodes reopens the old Cockpit Theatre in London, forms a company of young actors and begins to stage plays...
, the troupe included Loveday, Clun, Burt, Blagden, Bird, Baxter, and Charles Hart.
Personnel
- John Adson — musician (cornet). He played a ghost "with a brace of greyhounds" in The Late Lancashire WitchesThe Late Lancashire WitchesThe Late Lancashire Witches is a Caroline era stage play, written by Thomas Heywood and Richard Brome, published in 1634. The play is a topical melodrama on the subject of the witchcraft controversy that arose in Lancashire in 1633.-Performance:...
in 1634. He married Jane Balls, sister of Richard Balls.
- William AllenWilliam Allen (actor)William Allen was a prominent English actor in the Caroline era. He belonged to both of the most important theatre companies of his generation, Queen Henrietta's Men and the King's Men....
— actor and sharer. Like Theophilus BirdTheophilus BirdTheophilus Bird, or Bourne, was a seventeenth-century English actor. Bird began his stage career in the Stuart era of English Renaissance theatre, and ended it in the Restoration period; he was one of the relatively few actors who managed to resume their careers after the eighteen-year enforced...
, Michael BowyerMichael BowyerMichael Bowyer was an actor in English Renaissance theatre in the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He spent most of his maturity with Queen Henrietta's Men, but finished his career with the King's Men...
, Hugh ClarkHugh ClarkHugh Clark was a prominent English actor of the Caroline era. He worked in both of the main theatre companies of his time, Queen Henrietta's Men and the King's Men....
, and William RobbinsWilliam Robbins (actor)William Robbins , also Robins, Robinson, or Robson, was a prominent comic actor in the Jacobean and Caroline eras....
, he came to the company from Queen Henrietta's MenQueen Henrietta's MenQueen Henrietta's Men was an important playing company or troupe of actors in Caroline era London. At their peak of popularity, Queen Henrietta's Men were the second leading troupe of the day, after only the King's Men.-Beginnings:...
sometime in the 1637–40 period. He became a Groom of the ChamberGroom of the ChamberGroom of the Chamber and Groom of the Privy Chamber were positions in the Royal Household of the English monarchy, the latter considerably more elevated. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles...
on 22 January 1641, along with Bird, Bowyer, Clark, Robbins, and Stephen HammertonStephen HammertonStephen Hammerton was a boy player or child actor in English Renaissance theatre, one of the young performers who specialized in female roles in the period before women appeared on the stage...
.
- Robert ArminRobert ArminRobert Armin was an English actor, a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He became the leading comedy actor with the troupe associated with William Shakespeare following the departure of Will Kempe around 1600...
— principal actor.
- Edward Ashborne — "necessary attendant."
- John Bacon — actor; hired man, 1635–37. He appeared in the 1635 revival of Love's PilgrimageLove's Pilgrimage (play)Love's Pilgrimage is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. The play is unusual in their canon, in that its opening scene contains material from Ben Jonson's 1629 comedy The New Inn.-The problem:...
.
- Francis Balls — hired man; possibly a musician and walk-on actor. He had a non-speaking role in Believe as You ListBelieve as You ListBelieve as You List is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship.-Censorship:The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the efforts of Philip II of Spain to suppress the "false...
in 1631.
- Richard Balls — composer. He taught music in the King's service, and played for the City of London.
- Richard BaxterRichard Baxter (actor)Richard Baxter , or Backster, was a seventeenth-century actor, who worked in some of the leading theatre companies of his era...
— actor.
- Ambrose Beeland, or Byland — musician (violinist), 1624–28; "necessary attendant."
- Christopher BeestonChristopher BeestonChristopher Beeston was a successful actor and a powerful theatrical impresario in early 17th century London. He was associated with a number of playwrights, particularly Thomas Heywood.-Early life:...
— actor, hired man, 1598–1602.
- Robert BenfieldRobert BenfieldRobert Benfield was a seventeenth-century actor, noted for his longtime membership in the King's Men in the years and decades after William Shakespeare's retirement and death.Nothing is known of Benfield's early life...
— principal actor.
- George Birch — actor, c. 1616–25; hired man. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Cowley. He started out as a boy playerBoy playerBoy player is a common term for the adolescent males employed by Medieval and English Renaissance playing companies. Some boy players worked for the mainstream companies and performed the female roles, as women did not perform on the English stage in this period...
; among his roles were Fine Madame Would-be in VolponeVolponeVolpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable...
and Doll Common in The AlchemistThe Alchemist (play)The Alchemist is a comedy by English playwright Ben Jonson. First performed in 1610 by the King's Men, it is generally considered Jonson's best and most characteristic comedy; Samuel Taylor Coleridge claimed that it had one of the three most perfect plots in literature...
. A prolific performer, he was also in The Double MarriageThe Double MarriageThe Double Marriage is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, and initially printed in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-Date and performance:...
, The False OneThe False OneThe False One is a late Jacobean era stage play, written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. Generally categorized as a "classical history," the play tells part of the story of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra....
, The Island PrincessThe Island PrincessThe Island Princess is a late Jacobean tragicomedy by John Fletcher, initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-The play:...
, The Laws of CandyThe Laws of CandyThe Laws of Candy is a Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy that is significant principally because of the question of its authorship.-Date:...
, The Lovers' ProgressThe Lovers' ProgressThe Lovers' Progress, also known as The Wandering Lovers, or Cleander, or Lisander and Calista, is an early seventeenth-century stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger...
, The PilgrimThe Pilgrim (play)The Pilgrim is a late Jacobean era stage play, a comedy by John Fletcher that was originally published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.The play was acted by the King's Men; they performed it at Court in 1621 Christmas season...
, The ProphetessThe Prophetess (play)The Prophetess is a late Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. It was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-Date and performance:...
, Sir John van Olden BarnaveltSir John van Olden BarnaveltThe Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt was a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre...
, The Spanish ViceroyThe Spanish ViceroyThe Spanish Viceroy is a problem play of English Renaissance drama. Originally a work by Philip Massinger dating from 1624, it was controversial in its own era, and may or may not exist today in altered form.-The facts:1624...
, and A Wife for a MonthA Wife for a MonthA Wife for a Month is a late Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher and originally published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647....
.
- Theophilus BirdTheophilus BirdTheophilus Bird, or Bourne, was a seventeenth-century English actor. Bird began his stage career in the Stuart era of English Renaissance theatre, and ended it in the Restoration period; he was one of the relatively few actors who managed to resume their careers after the eighteen-year enforced...
— actor, sharer. His father, William Bird or William Bourne, may have been with the Lord Chamberlain's Men c. 1597, before moving on to other companies in a long career.
- Nicholas Blagden — actor. He was one of ten men to tried to re-activate the King's Men in December 1648.
- Richard Bowers — actor, hired man, 1636–42.
- Michael BowyerMichael BowyerMichael Bowyer was an actor in English Renaissance theatre in the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He spent most of his maturity with Queen Henrietta's Men, but finished his career with the King's Men...
— actor, sharer.
- Robert BrowneRobert Browne (Jacobean actor)Robert Browne was an English actor and theatre manager and investor of the later sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. He was also part of a long-standing confusion in the scholarship of English Renaissance theatre....
— a householder in the Globe, after he inherited a share though William SlyWilliam SlyWilliam Sly was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a colleague of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men....
's last will and testament in 1608. Brown, an actor, had a four-decade-long career with other companies; he soon sold his share to Heminges and Condell in partnership. (He should not be confused with the "other" Robert BrowneRobert Browne (Elizabethan actor)Robert Browne was an English actor of the Elizabethan era, and the owner and manager of the Boar's Head Theatre. He was also part of an enduring confusion in the study of English Renaissance theatre.-Two Robert Brownes:...
the actor.)
- George BryanGeorge Bryan (16th-century actor)George Bryan was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men with William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage....
— principal actor.
- Alexander Bullard — musician (recorder player); "necessary attendant."
- Cuthbert BurbageCuthbert BurbageCuthbert Burbage was an English theatrical figure, son of impresario James Burbage and elder brother of famous actor Richard Burbage...
— manager/investor.
- James BurbageJames BurbageJames Burbage was an English actor, theatre impresario, and theatre builder in the English Renaissance theatre. He built The Theatre, the facility famous as the first permanent dedicated theatre built in England since Roman times...
— theatre manager.
- Richard BurbageRichard BurbageRichard Burbage was an English actor and theatre owner. He was the younger brother of Cuthbert Burbage. They were both actors in drama....
— principal actor.
- Winifred Turner Burbage — the widow of Richard Burbage, she became a householder in both theatres when her husband died. She later married Richard Robinson.
- Nicholas BurtNicholas BurtNicholas Burt , or Birt or Burght among other variants, was a prominent English actor of the seventeenth century. In a long career, he was perhaps best known as the first actor to play the role of Othello in the Restoration era.A "Nicholas Bert" was christened on 27 May 1621, in Norwich; the record...
— actor. He began as a boy player, an apprentice to John ShankJohn ShankJohn Shank was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a leading comedian in the King's Men during the 1620s and 1630s.-Early career:...
. He was one of the King's Men arrested on 5 February 1648, while playing in Rollo Duke of NormandyRollo Duke of NormandyRollo Duke of Normandy, also known as The Bloody Brother, is a play written in collaboration by John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, Ben Jonson, and George Chapman. Scholars have disputed almost everything about the play; but it was probably written sometime in the 1612–24 era and later revised,...
. His career continued into the Restoration; he played Othello in 1660 and 1669.
- William Carver — "necessary attendant."
- William Chambers — musician; "necessary attendant."
- Hugh ClarkHugh ClarkHugh Clark was a prominent English actor of the Caroline era. He worked in both of the main theatre companies of his time, Queen Henrietta's Men and the King's Men....
— actor and sharer.
- Mary Clark, or Mary Woods — a householder in the Globe Theatre from 1604. Thomas PopeThomas PopeSir Thomas Pope , founder of Trinity College, Oxford, was born at Deddington, near Banbury, Oxfordshire, probably in 1507, for he was about sixteen years old when his father, a yeoman farmer, died in 1523....
left part of his share in the Globe to Mary Clark in his last will and testament; she later married a John Edmunds or Edmans, who shared in her share.
- Robert Clark — "necessary attendant."
- Henry Clay — "necessary attendant."
- Walter ClunWalter ClunWalter Clun was a noted English actor of the seventeenth century. His career spanned the difficult period when the theatres were closed during the English Civil War and the Interregnum, from 1642 to 1660....
— actor. Like Charles Hart, he was a boy player prior to the closing of the theatres in 1642, who continued his career as an adult actor in 1660.
- Jeffrey Collins — musician; "necessary attendant." He died c. 1641.
- Elizabeth Condell — widow of Henry Condell, she became a householder in both the Globe and Blackfriars through her husband's will. In 1635, the year of her death, she owned a quarter-interest in the Globe (four of sixteen shares), and one of eight shares in the Blackfriars.
- Henry CondellHenry CondellHenry Condell was an actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. With John Heminges, he was instrumental in preparing the First Folio, the collected plays of Shakespeare, published in 1623....
— principal actor.
- Alexander CookeAlexander CookeAlexander Cooke was an actor in the King's Men, the acting company of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage.Edmond Malone introduced the hypothesis, still current though far from certain, that Cooke originated Shakespeare's principal female roles...
— principal actor.
- Robert CoxRobert Cox (actor)Robert Cox was a seventeenth-century English actor, best known for creating and performing the "drolls" that were a permitted form of dramatic entertainment during the English Civil War and the Interregnum, when theatres were officially closed and standard plays were not allowed.Gerard Langbaine...
— actor. He was one of the ten men who attempted to re-start the King's Men in December 1648. Cox then became famous as a performer of the "drollDrollA droll is a short comical sketch of a type that originated during the Puritan Interregnum in England. With the closure of the theatres, actors were left without any way of plying their art. Borrowing scenes from well-known plays of the Elizabethan theatre, they added dancing and other...
s" that were an allowed form of theatre during the InterregnumEnglish InterregnumThe English Interregnum was the period of parliamentary and military rule by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the Commonwealth of England after the English Civil War...
.
- Ralph CraneRalph CraneRalph Crane was a professional scrivener or scribe in early seventeenth-century London. His close connection with some of the First Folio texts of the plays of William Shakespeare has led to his being called "Shakespeare's first editor."-Life:What little is known of Crane's life comes from his own...
— scribe.
- Richard CowleyRichard CowleyRichard Cowley was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a colleague of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men.Cowley was in the c...
— principal actor.
- Samuel Crosse — actor; listed among the 26 "principal actors" of Shakespeare's plays in the First Folio, but mentioned nowhere else in the company's documentation. He may have become a sharer in the company in 1604, but died soon after.
- Rowland Dowle — actor, hired man, 1628–36. He played small parts in Believe as You ListBelieve as You ListBelieve as You List is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship.-Censorship:The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the efforts of Philip II of Spain to suppress the "false...
and the 1635 revival of Love's PilgrimageLove's Pilgrimage (play)Love's Pilgrimage is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. The play is unusual in their canon, in that its opening scene contains material from Ben Jonson's 1629 comedy The New Inn.-The problem:...
. He left the company for Queen Henrietta's MenQueen Henrietta's MenQueen Henrietta's Men was an important playing company or troupe of actors in Caroline era London. At their peak of popularity, Queen Henrietta's Men were the second leading troupe of the day, after only the King's Men.-Beginnings:...
, and was in their 1636 revival of The Witch of EdmontonThe Witch of EdmontonThe Witch of Edmonton is an English Jacobean play, written by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker and John Ford in 1621.The play—"probably the most sophisticated treatment of domestic tragedy in the whole of Elizabethan-Jacobean drama"—is based on supposedly real-life events that took place...
; but he returned to the King's Men in time for their 1638 revival of The ChancesThe ChancesThe Chances is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher. It was one of Fletcher's great popular successes, "frequently performed and reprinted in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries."...
.
- John Duke — actor, hired man, 1598–1602. He was cast in Every Man in His HumourEvery Man in His HumourEvery Man in His Humour is a 1598 play by the English playwright Ben Jonson. The play belongs to the subgenre of the "humours comedy," in which each major character is dominated by an overriding humour or obsession.-Performance and Publication:...
, 1598, and appears to have followed Christopher BeestonChristopher BeestonChristopher Beeston was a successful actor and a powerful theatrical impresario in early 17th century London. He was associated with a number of playwrights, particularly Thomas Heywood.-Early life:...
to Worcester's MenWorcester's MenThe Earl of Worcester's Men was an acting company in Renaissance England. An early formation of the company, wearing the livery of William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester, is among the companies known to have toured the country in the mid-sixteenth century...
.
- William EcclestoneWilliam EcclestoneWilliam Ecclestone or Egglestone was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a member of Shakespeare's company the King's Men.Nothing is known with certainty about Ecclestone's early life...
— principal actor.
- Henry Evans — theatre manager. He was associated with the Blackfriars Theatre from the mid-1580s on.
- Thomas Evans — agent for Henry Evans. He became a householder in the Blackfriars Theatre in 1608, apparently representing relative Henry Evans.
- Nathan Field — principal actor; playwright.
- John FletcherJohn Fletcher (playwright)John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivalled Shakespeare's...
— playwright.
- Lawrence FletcherLawrence FletcherLawrence Fletcher was a Jacobean actor, and man of mystery. He is listed on the royal patent of 19 May 1603 that transformed the Lord Chamberlain's Men into the King's Men — and he is listed first, with William Shakespeare second and Richard Burbage third; significant, in the hierarchy-mad...
— actor.
- William Gascoyne — "necessary attendant."
- Samuel Gilburne — actor; like Crosse, listed among the 26 "principal actors," but little is known of him. A former apprentice of Phillips, he may have become a sharer c. 1605, but died soon after.
- Alexander GoughAlexander GoughAlexander Gough , also Goughe or Goffe, was an English actor in the Caroline era. He started out as a boy player filling female roles; during the period of the English Civil War and the Interregnum when the theatres were closed and actors out of work, Gough became involved in the publication of...
— actor; hired man. Born in 1614, he was the son of Robert Gough. Boy player, 1626–32, possibly an adult actor to c. 1637.
- Robert Gough — actor, one of the 26 "principal actors" in the First Folio list. He may have been associated with the original actors group from S.D.S. He was in The Second Maiden's TragedyThe Second Maiden's TragedyThe Second Maiden's Tragedy is a Jacobean play that survives only in manuscript. It was written in 1611, and performed in the same year by the King's Men. The manuscript that survives is the copy that was sent to the censor, and therefore includes his notes and deletions...
and Sir John van Olden BarnaveltSir John van Olden BarnaveltThe Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt was a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre...
. He died in 1624; father of Alexander Gough.
- Curtis Greville — actor; hired man, 1626–33. He played Mountain the goldsmith in The Soddered CitizenThe Soddered CitizenThe Soddered Citizen is a Caroline era stage play, a city comedy now attributed to John Clavell. The play was lost for three centuries; the sole surviving manuscript was rediscovered and published in the twentieth century....
; he was in The Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's Melancholy is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an anticipation of what would follow through the remainder of his...
and The SwisserThe SwisserThe Swisser is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Arthur Wilson. It was performed by the King's Men in the Blackfriars Theatre in 1631, and is notable for the light in throws on the workings of the premier acting company of its time....
. He probably was the "Curtis" who played small roles in The Two Noble KinsmenThe Two Noble KinsmenThe Two Noble Kinsmen is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from "The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales....
. By 1634 he was a sharer in the King's Revels MenKing's Revels MenThe King's Revels Men or King's Revels Company was a playing company or troupe of actors in seventeenth-century England. In the confusing theatre nomenclature of that era, it is sometimes called the second King's Revels Company, to distinguish it from an earlier troupe with the same title that was...
.
- William Hall — actor. He was one of ten men who tried to re-activate the King's Men in December 1648. His long stage career started by 1630; in 1660 his compatriots agreed to pay him a small pension if he would retire from the troupe. He complied, but the others stopped paying him a year later. Hall sued them.
- Stephen HammertonStephen HammertonStephen Hammerton was a boy player or child actor in English Renaissance theatre, one of the young performers who specialized in female roles in the period before women appeared on the stage...
— actor, sharer.
- Charles HartCharles Hart (17th-century actor)Charles Hart was a prominent British Restoration actor.A Charles Hart was christened on 11 December 1625, in the parish of St. Giles Cripplegate, in London. It is not absolutely certain that this was the actor, though the name was not common at the time...
— actor.
- William HartWilliam Hart (actor)William Hart was an English actor during the reign of Charles I and purportedly the father of the Restoration actor Charles Hart.-Career:...
— actor; hired man, 1636–37. Father of Charles Hart. Both Harts were among the ten players who tried to re-activate the troupe in December 1648.
- Richard Hawley — actor; hired man, 1636–40. He died in the later year.
- John HemingesJohn HemingesJohn Heminges was an English Renaissance actor. Most noted now as one of the editors of William Shakespeare's 1623 First Folio, Heminges served in his time as an actor and financial manager for the King's Men.-Life:Heminges was born in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire in 1556...
— principal actor.
- Thomasine Heminges Ostler — daughter of John Heminges and wife of William Ostler, she should have become a householder in both theatres upon her husband's death in December 1614. But Ostler died intestate, and John Heminges was able to seize control of the theatre shares; Mary took her father to court in 1615, apparently unsuccessfully. All of Heminges's shares eventually passed to his son, dramatist William HemingesWilliam HemingesWilliam Heminges , also Hemminges, Heminge, and other variants, was a playwright and theatrical figure of the Caroline period. He was the ninth child and third son of John Heminges, the actor and colleague of William Shakespeare.William Heminges was christened on October 3, 1602, in the parish of...
.
- Thomas Hobbs — actor; hired man, 1626–37. He had a role in Believe as You ListBelieve as You ListBelieve as You List is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship.-Censorship:The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the efforts of Philip II of Spain to suppress the "false...
(1631).
- Thomas Holcombe — actor; boy player, 1618–25. He was in The Custom of the CountryThe Custom of the Country (1647 play)The Custom of the Country is a Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, originally published in 1647 in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio.-Date and sources:The play is usually dated to c. 1619–23...
, The Knight of MaltaThe Knight of MaltaThe Knight of Malta is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy in the canon of John Fletcher and his collaborators. It was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-Date and source:...
, The Little French LawyerThe Little French LawyerThe Little French Lawyer is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. It was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-Date:...
, The ProphetessThe Prophetess (play)The Prophetess is a late Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. It was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-Date and performance:...
, The Queen of CorinthThe Queen of CorinthThe Queen of Corinth is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy in the canon of John Fletcher and his collaborators. It was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-Date:...
, and Women PleasedWomen PleasedWomen Pleased is a late Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy by John Fletcher that was originally published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.-Date and performance:...
. He died in August 1625; his widow married actor Ellis WorthEllis WorthEllis Worth , or Woorth, was a noted English actor in the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He was a leading member of two important companies, Queen Anne's Men and Prince Charles's Men....
the next year.
- John Holland — actor, hired man. He was one of the S.D.S. actors, and joined the Chamberlain's Men on their foundation in 1594. Thomas Pope's 1603 will noted Holland as a lodger in Pope's house.
- John HonymanJohn HonymanJohn Honyman , also Honeyman, Honiman, Honnyman, or other variants, was an English actor of the Caroline era. He was a member of the King's Men, the most prominent playing company of its era, best known as the company of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage.Honyman belonged to the generation...
— actor; playwright?
- James Horn — actor, hired man, 1620s. He was in The PilgrimThe Pilgrim (play)The Pilgrim is a late Jacobean era stage play, a comedy by John Fletcher that was originally published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647.The play was acted by the King's Men; they performed it at Court in 1621 Christmas season...
(1621) and The Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's Melancholy is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an anticipation of what would follow through the remainder of his...
(1628).
- Edward Horton — actor; boy player and singer, 1629–30. He played a female role in The Deserving FavouriteThe Deserving FavouriteThe Deserving Favourite is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Lodowick Carlell that was first published in 1629. The earliest of Carlell's plays "and also the best," it is notable for its influence on other plays of the Caroline era....
in 1629, and had a part in The Mad LoverThe Mad LoverThe Mad Lover is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy by John Fletcher that was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647....
.
- Anthony Jeffes — actor, hired man, was probably with Lord Chamberlain's Men c. 1594–97. He was with Pembroke's MenPembroke's MenThe Earl of Pembroke's Men was an Elizabethan era playing company, or troupe of actors, in English Renaissance theatre. They functioned under the patronage of Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. Early and equivocal mentions of a Pembroke's company reach as far back as 1575; but the company is...
in the difficult year of 1597, then with the Admiral's MenAdmiral's MenThe Admiral's Men was a playing company or troupe of actors in the Elizabethan and Stuart eras...
to 1613.
- Humphrey Jeffes — actor, hired man, was probably with Lord Chamberlain's Men c. 1594–97. Like his brother Anthony, above, he passed through Pembroke's Men to the Admiral's, to c. 1616.
- Robert Johnson — composer, particularly associated with productions at the Blackfriars Theatre.
- William KempeWilliam KempeWilliam Kempe , also spelt Kemp, was an English actor and dancer specializing in comic roles and best known for having been one of the original players in early dramas by William Shakespeare...
— principal actor.
- George Kettleby — actor. He was one of the ten who tried to re-start the King's Men in December 1648.
- Anthony Knight — "necessary attendant."
- Edward KnightEdward Knight (King's Men)Edward Knight was the prompter of the King's Men, the acting company that performed the plays of William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, John Fletcher, and other playwrights of Jacobean and Caroline drama.In English Renaissance theatre, the prompter managed the company's performances, ensuring that they...
— prompter and "book-keeper;" "necessary attendant."
- William LawesWilliam LawesWilliam Lawes was an English composer and musician.-Life and career:Lawes was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire and was baptised on 1 May 1602...
— composer.
- Thomas Loveday — actor. He was one of the ten men who tried to re-activate the company in December 1648. His career began in 1634, and lasted until his death in 1671.
- G. Lowen — the boy player who took the role of Barnavelt's Daughter in the 1619 production of Sir John van Olden BarnaveltSir John van Olden BarnaveltThe Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt was a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre...
.
- John LowinJohn LowinJohn Lowin was an English actor born in the St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London, the son of a tanner. Like Robert Armin, he was apprenticed to a goldsmith. While he is not recorded as a free citizen of this company, he did perform as a goldsmith, Leofstane, in a 1611 city pageant written by...
— principal actor.
- William Mago — actor; hired man, 1624–31; "necessary attendant." He was in Believe as You ListBelieve as You ListBelieve as You List is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship.-Censorship:The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the efforts of Philip II of Spain to suppress the "false...
. He died in 1632.
- Philip MassingerPhilip MassingerPhilip Massinger was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes.-Early life:The son of Arthur Massinger or Messenger, he was baptized at St....
— playwright.
- Basil Nicoll — a householder in the Globe. In his will, Thomas Pope left his share in the Globe to Mary Clark (see above) and a Thomas Bromley. Nicoll, a scrivener who was one of the executors of Pope's will, appears to have acted as a trustee for Bromley (a minor), since Nicoll is named as a householder in legal documents in 1615.
- William OstlerWilliam OstlerWilliam Ostler was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a member of the King's Men, the company of William Shakespeare....
— principal actor.
- Robert Pallant — actor; "necessary attendant." Born 1605, he was a boy player and apprentice to Heminges, 1620; a hired man, 1620–25. His father, another Robert Pallant (died 1619), had a two-decade acting career with several companies, perhaps including a short stint with the Lord Chamberlain's Men, c. 1597–98.
- William Patrick — actor, 1624–37; "necessary attendant." He played minor roles in The Roman ActorThe Roman ActorThe Roman Actor is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger; it was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629...
and Believe as You ListBelieve as You ListBelieve as You List is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship.-Censorship:The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the efforts of Philip II of Spain to suppress the "false...
.
- William Penn — actor, a hired man with a long career in several companies. He started as a boy player, in Epicene in 1609. He was with the King's Men, 1626–37; he had parts in The Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's Melancholy is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an anticipation of what would follow through the remainder of his...
and The Picture.
- Andrew PennycuickeAndrew PennycuickeAndrew Pennycuicke was a mid-seventeenth-century actor and publisher; he was responsible for publishing a number of plays of English Renaissance drama.What little is known of Pennycuicke's acting career comes from his own publications...
— actor.
- Richard PerkinsRichard Perkins (17th-century actor)Richard Perkins was a prominent early seventeenth-century actor, most famous for his performance in the role of Barabas in Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta...
— actor, with the company 1623–25.
- Augustine PhillipsAugustine PhillipsAugustine Phillips was an Elizabethan actor who performed in troupes with Edward Alleyn and William Shakespeare. He was one of the first generation of English actors to achieve wealth and a degree of social status by means of his trade....
— principal actor.
- Thomas PollardThomas PollardThomas Pollard was an actor in the King's Men — a prominent comedian in the acting troupe of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage....
— actor, sharer.
- Thomas PopeThomas Pope (16th-century actor)Thomas Pope was an Elizabethan actor, a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men and a colleague of William Shakespeare. Pope was a "comedian and acrobat."-Beginnings:...
— principal actor.
- Timothy ReadTimothy ReadTimothy Read was a comic actor of the Caroline era, and one of the most famous and popular performers of his generation....
— actor. A famous clown in his own era, Read may have been a member of the King's Men in 1641.
- John Rhodes — "necessary attendant." A disputed figure: either John RhodesJohn Rhodes (17th century)John Rhodes was a theatrical figure of the early and middle seventeenth century. He rose to a brief prominence in 1660 when the London theatres re-opened at the start of the English Restoration era.-Beginning:...
the company's wardrobe keeper, or another man of the same name, a musician who died in February 1636.
- John Rice — actor; one of the 26 "principal actors," and the last-named on the list; a boy playerBoy playerBoy player is a common term for the adolescent males employed by Medieval and English Renaissance playing companies. Some boy players worked for the mainstream companies and performed the female roles, as women did not perform on the English stage in this period...
and Heminges' apprentice in 1607. He was in Sir John van Olden BarnaveltSir John van Olden BarnaveltThe Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt was a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre...
in 1619; he became a sharer c. 1620, but retired after 1625 to become a parish clerk.
- George Rickner — musician? (trumpeter?); "necessary attendant."
- William RobbinsWilliam Robbins (actor)William Robbins , also Robins, Robinson, or Robson, was a prominent comic actor in the Jacobean and Caroline eras....
— actor and sharer.
- Richard RobinsonRichard Robinson (17th-century actor)Richard Robinson was an actor in English Renaissance theatre and a member of Shakespeare's company the King's Men.Robinson started out as a boy player with the company; in 1611 he played the Lady in their production of The Second Maiden's Tragedy. He was cast in their production of Ben Jonson's...
— principal actor.
- William RowleyWilliam RowleyWilliam Rowley was an English Jacobean dramatist, best known for works written in collaboration with more successful writers. His date of birth is estimated to have been c. 1585; he was buried on 11 February 1626...
— actor, with the company 1623–25.
- James Sands, or Saunder — boy player and Augustine Phillips's apprentice. Phillips left Sands 40 shillings and three musical instruments in his 1605 last will and testament; but William Sly left Sands £40 in his 1608 will. An obscure figure, Sands may have been with Queen Anne's MenQueen Anne's MenQueen Anne's Men was a playing company, or troupe of actors, in Jacobean era London. -Formation:...
c. 1617.
- William Saunders — musician (bass viol and sackbutSackbutThe sackbut is a trombone from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, i.e., a musical instrument in the brass family similar to the trumpet except characterised by a telescopic slide with which the player varies the length of the tube to change pitches, thus allowing them to obtain chromaticism, as...
); "necessary attendant." He died in 1674.
- Edward Shakerley — actor, musician; a "necessary attendant" in December 1624, he is also listed in the cast of Massinger's The RenegadoThe RenegadoThe Renegado, or The Gentleman of Venice is a late Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy written by Philip Massinger and first published in 1630...
(printed 1630).
- William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
— principal actor; playwright.
- John ShankJohn ShankJohn Shank was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a leading comedian in the King's Men during the 1620s and 1630s.-Early career:...
— principal actor.
- Richard SharpeRichard Sharpe (actor)Richard Sharpe was an actor with the King's Men, the leading theatre troupe of its time and the company of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage...
— actor; "necessary attendant."
- John SinkloJohn SinkloJohn Sinklo was an English Renaissance theatre actor, known to be active between 1592-1604. He was a member of several playing companies, including Lord Strange's Men, Pembroke's Men, Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men...
or Sincler — actor; a hired man who played "thin man" comedy parts, like Pinch in The Comedy of ErrorsThe Comedy of ErrorsThe Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors is one of only two of Shakespeare's...
and Shadow in Henry IV, Part 2Henry IV, Part 2Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...
. He filled five minor roles in S.D.S., and was with the troupe at least until The MalcontentThe MalcontentThe Malcontent is an early Jacobean stage play written by the dramatist and satirist John Marston ca. 1603. The play was one of Marston's most successful works....
in 1604.
- William SlyWilliam SlyWilliam Sly was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a colleague of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men....
— principal actor.
- Anthony Smith — actor; hired man, 1626–31. He was in The Roman ActorThe Roman ActorThe Roman Actor is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger; it was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629...
, The Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's Melancholy is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an anticipation of what would follow through the remainder of his...
, The Deserving FavouriteThe Deserving FavouriteThe Deserving Favourite is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Lodowick Carlell that was first published in 1629. The earliest of Carlell's plays "and also the best," it is notable for its influence on other plays of the Caroline era....
, The Soddered CitizenThe Soddered CitizenThe Soddered Citizen is a Caroline era stage play, a city comedy now attributed to John Clavell. The play was lost for three centuries; the sole surviving manuscript was rediscovered and published in the twentieth century....
, and The SwisserThe SwisserThe Swisser is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Arthur Wilson. It was performed by the King's Men in the Blackfriars Theatre in 1631, and is notable for the light in throws on the workings of the premier acting company of its time....
. He had been with Prince Charles's MenPrince Charles's MenPrince Charles's Men was a playing company or troupe of actors in Jacobean and Caroline England.-The Jacobean era troupe:...
, 1616–25.
- William Styles — actor, hired man 1636–37.
- Eliard SwanstonEliard SwanstonEliard Swanston , alternatively spelled Heliard, Hilliard, Elyard, Ellyardt, Ellyaerdt, and Eyloerdt, was an English actor in the Caroline era. He became a leading man in the King's Men, the company of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage, in the final phase of its existence.-Career:Swanston...
— actor.
- R. T. — he played small Messenger roles in Sir John van Olden BarnaveltSir John van Olden BarnaveltThe Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt was a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre...
.
- William Tawyer, or Toyer — musician (trumpeter); "necessary attendant." According to the First FolioFirst FolioMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
, he led the Athenian "mechanicals" onstage with his trumpet, for their playlet in Act V of A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
.
- Joseph TaylorJoseph Taylor (17th-century actor)Joseph Taylor was a 17th-century actor. As the successor of Richard Burbage with the King's Men, he was arguably the most important actor in the later Jacobean and the Caroline eras....
— principal actor.
- John ThompsonJohn Thompson (actor)John Thompson was a noted boy player acting women's roles in English Renaissance theatre. He served in the King's Men, the acting troupe formerly of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage.Thompson's career is notable for his length...
— actor, sharer.
- Nicholas TooleyNicholas TooleyNicholas Tooley was a Renaissance actor in the King's Men, the acting company of William Shakespeare.Recent research has shown that Tooley was born in late 1582 or early 1583; his birth name was not Tooley but Wilkinson...
— principal actor.
- William Trigg — actor; hired man, 1625–37; a boy player apprenticed to Heminges. He played female roles in The Roman ActorThe Roman ActorThe Roman Actor is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger; it was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629...
, The Picture, The Soddered CitizenThe Soddered CitizenThe Soddered Citizen is a Caroline era stage play, a city comedy now attributed to John Clavell. The play was lost for three centuries; the sole surviving manuscript was rediscovered and published in the twentieth century....
, The SwisserThe SwisserThe Swisser is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Arthur Wilson. It was performed by the King's Men in the Blackfriars Theatre in 1631, and is notable for the light in throws on the workings of the premier acting company of its time....
, and the 1632 revival of The Wild Goose ChaseThe Wild Goose ChaseThe Wild Goose Chase is a late Jacobean stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher, first published in 1621. It is often classed among Fletcher's most effective and best-constructed plays; Edmund Gosse called it "one of the brightest and most coherent of Fletcher's comedies, a play which it is...
. He had an unspecified part in The Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's Melancholy is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an anticipation of what would follow through the remainder of his...
. He was with Beeston's BoysBeeston's BoysBeeston's Boys was the popular and colloquial name of The King and Queen's Young Company, a troupe of boy actors of the Caroline period, active mainly in the years 1637–1642.-Origin:...
in 1639, and served as a captain in the Royalist army during the English Civil WarEnglish Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
- Thomas Tuckfield — "necessary attendant."
- Nicholas Underhill — actor and musician (trumpeter), 1619–31; "necessary attendant." He was Beeland's apprentice in music, 1620–32. He died in 1637.
- John UnderwoodJohn Underwood (actor)John Underwood was an early 17th century actor, a member of the King's Men, the company of William Shakespeare.-Career:Underwood began as a boy player with the Children of the Chapel, and was cast in that company's productions of Ben Jonson's Cynthia's Revels and The Poetaster...
— principal actor.
- George Vernon — actor; hired man, 1617–30; "necessary attendant." He was in The Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's MelancholyThe Lover's Melancholy is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an anticipation of what would follow through the remainder of his...
and the Roman ActorThe Roman ActorThe Roman Actor is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger; it was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629...
.
- Henry Wilson — musician (lutenist and singer), 1624–31; "necessary attendant." Apprenticed to Heminges in 1611, he played Balthazar in Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
. He would become professor of music at Oxford University in 1656.
- John WilsonJohn Wilson (composer)John Wilson , was an English composer, lutenist and teacher. Born in Faversham, Kent, he moved to London by 1614, where he succeeded Robert Johnson as principal composer for the King's Men, and entered the King's Musick in 1635 as a lutenist. He received the degree of D.Mus from Oxford in 1644,...
— composer.
- John Witter — a householder in the Globe, after he married the widow of Augustine Phillips. He forfeited his share in 1613, when the Globe burned down; he declined to invest in its replacement.