We’re slowly filling in the gaps of the early years of the first Stuart monarch, but we’re getting there. It gets super patchy from 1608, but every little helps… Go back to 1600 to 1603.

The Queen is dead, long live the King. Here’s the proclamation of his taking the throne.

1603

Narcissus, A Twelfth Night Merriment. Super silly show, we recommend. Not that we play favourites.

The Tragedy of Hoffman, or a Revenger for a Father by Henry Chettle – First Look Exploring Session available

The Fairy Chase by William Percy

Antipoe by Francis Verney

A Woman Killed With Kindness by Thomas Heywood – First Look Exploring Session available.

The Tragedy of Darius by William Alexander – later published as part of his Monarchick Tragedies, this the first play as written, though you might want to start with Croesus, which comes nearly on top of this text.

Sejanus by Ben Jonson

The Phoenix by Thomas Middleton

The First Part of Jeronimo (printed 1605) – this is a reasonable date for the play, but opinions vary so it pops up all over the place. Parts of it might survive from a much earlier version of the play. But might not. See, The Spanish Tragedy all the way back in 1587.

The Dutch Courtesan by John Marston – First Look Exploring Session available

1604

The Honest Whore (part 1) by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker

Westward Ho! by various people

The Fair Maid of Bristol – or Bristow. Is this a spoof, or just very short? You decide. First Look Exploring Session available

Law Tricks, or Who Would Have Thought It by John Day

The Wit of a Woman

May Day by George Chapman

Bussy D’Ambois by George Chapman

When You See Me, You Know Me by Samuel Rowley

Philotas by Samuel Daniel – First Look Exploring Session available.

The London Prodigal

All Fools by George Chapman

The Malcontent by John Marston – First Look Exploring Session available

If You Know Not Me, You Know Nobody (parts 1 & 2) by Thomas Heywood – these are two very different plays. The first part otherwise is called The Troubles of Queen Elizabeth, and is all about Elizabeth, while the second play which is more properly called If You Know Not Me and is about London life. During the life of these two plays the overall title stuck to both plays which sort of function as a two parter, but part two isn’t really interested in following much of the action of part one. Lot’s of good stuff, but needs attention… First Look available.

Croesus by William Alexander – First Look Exploring Session available

1605

The Queen’s Arcadia by Samuel Daniel – First Look Exploring Session available.

Eastward Ho! by Chapman, Jonson, Marston

Nobody and Somebody

If You Know Not Me, You Know Nobody p 2 by Thomas Heywood – see 1604 above or watch the first video here.

The Widow’s Tears by George Chapman

The Honest Whore (part 2) by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker

Claudius Tiberius Nero

A Trick to Catch the Old One by Thomas Middleton

Monsieur D’Olive by George Chapman

Caesar’s Revenge or, Caesar and Pompey – University Play, not the play of the same name by George Chapman

A Mad, Mad World My Masters by Thomas Middleton

Michaelmas Term by Thomas Middleton

Northward Ho! Webster by Thomas Dekker and John Webster

The Fawn, or Parasitaster by John Marston – First Look Exploring Session available.

A Yorkshire Tragedy by Thomas Middleton, and possibly others. Who knows. It’s not very long. Trigger Warning for this exploration – it’s a dark play about domestic abuse and murder.

1605 Lord Mayor’s Show: The Triumphs of Reunited Britannia by Anthony Munday – more to come, see below.

c.1605 The Wonder of Women or The Tragedy of Sophonisba by John Marston – exploring session of this dark and strange play is available.

1606

The Isle of Gulls by John Day

Volpone by Ben Jonson

The Fleer by Edward Sharpham

The Whore of Babylon by Thomas Dekker

Birth of Hercules

The Woman Hater by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher

The Puritan by Thomas Middleton

The Revenger’s Tragedy by Thomas Middleton

Royal Entry for the King of Denmark – the kings brother in law came for a visit, there was a lot of material to sift through in the exploring sessions – you can find them in our Civic and Royal Pageantry playlist.

1607

Cupid’s Whirligig by Edward Sharpham

The Miseries of Enforced Marriage by George Wilkins

The Alexandrian Tragedy by William Alexander – First Look Exploring Session available.

Julius Caesar by William Alexander – things are about to get a tad stabby, in the last of Sir William’s closet dramas on themes of monarchic control, or lack thereof. Closet Drama playlist. Roman History playlist.

The Rape of Lucrece by Thomas Heywood

The Two Maids of Moreclacke by Robert Armin

The Devil’s Charter by Barnabe Barnes

Ram Alley by Lording Barry

The Travels of Three English Brothers by George Wilkins, John Day and William Rowley – First Look Exploring Session available

The Knight of the Burning Pestle by Francis Beaumont – First Look Exploring Session available

Every Woman in Her Humour by Lewis Machin

Humour out of Breath by John Day

The Family of Love by Lording Barry – recording of the prologue available.

Fortune by Land and Sea by Thomas Heywood and William Rowley

The Turk by John Mason

The Dumb Knight by Gervase Markham and Lewis Machin

Your Five Gallants by Thomas Middleton

Cupid’s Revenge by Francis Beaumont

We’re slowly edging towards completing our timeline up to 1607 – it gets really patchy round here from 1608 onwards. But we’re working on it. 1608 and onwards…