Table of Contents

1. Starting Points; 2. The First Decade (1558–1567); 3. The Second Decade (1567–1577); 4. The Third Decade (1578–1588).

Promotional Information

The first full history of the first great Elizabethan play company, responsible for developing the main features of Shakespearean theatre.

About the Author

Laurie Johnson is Professor in English and Cultural Studies at the University of Southern Queensland and, since 2016, has served as President of the Australian and New Zealand Shakespeare Association. He is the author of Shakespeare's Lost Playhouse: Eleven Days at Newington Butts (2018) and has written extensively in areas related to cultural history, literary studies, and Shakespeare's theatre.

Reviews

'This book is going to be required reading for anyone working on the pre-Shakespearean theatre, and for anyone interested in the cultural and institutional origins of the drama of Shakespeare's own day. It offers a wealth of detail on the history, personnel, repertory, performance habits and touring practices of Leicester's Men, adding materially to existing narratives using unfamiliar archival data and details drawn from the most recent scholarship on the drama's written and archaeological traces. The result is a scrupulously-evidenced account that offers a powerful case for the historical importance of its subject.' Tom Rutter, University of Sheffield

'A compelling contribution to early modern theatre history, Laurie Johnson's The Earl of Leicester's Men and their Plays will shape our understanding of dramatic patronage, touring and the relationship between playing companies and dedicated playing spaces. In the process he sheds new light on the life-stories of players and their families, women's contributions to the business of theatre and the evidence for plays that are now lost. His book will be required reading for anyone interested in this pivotal phase in the development of theatre in England.' Lucy Munro, King's College London