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{{Short description|Company of actors in Jacobean London}}

The '''Lady Elizabeth's Men''' was a company of actors in [[Jacobean era|Jacobean]] [[London]], formed under the patronage of King [[James I of England|James I's]] daughter Princess [[Elizabeth of Bohemia|Elizabeth]].

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}

The '''Lady Elizabeth's Men''', or '''Princess Elizabeth's Men''', was a [[Playing company|company of actors]] in [[Jacobean era|Jacobean]] [[London]], formed under the patronage of King [[James I of England|James I's]] daughter Princess [[Elizabeth of Bohemia|Elizabeth]]. From 1618 on, the company was called '''The Queen of Bohemia's Men,''' after Elizabeth and her husband the [[Frederick V, Elector Palatine|Elector Palatine]] had their brief and disastrous flirtation with the crown of Bohemia. (In the winter of 1618–19, the two had their brief reign as the King and Queen of Bohemia, to start the [[Thirty Years' War]].)

The company received its royal patent on 27 April 27, 1611; it is thought to have been composed largely of former child actors from the children's troupes— – the [[Children of the Chapel]], and the [[Children of Paul's]], and— others—who were now grown to manhood. OnThey Augustmay have started out playing at the [[The Swan (theatre)|Swan Theatre]]. On 29 ofAugust 1611, the company signed a bond with [[Philip Henslowe]]; they would rely on Henslowe for financing and would in the future act at Henslowe's theatresnew theatre, the [[RoseHope Theatre|RoseHope]] and the Hope.

Soon after their inception, the company was performing in the provinces; but by 1612 they were back in London, and in that year played four times at Court. In 1613,''[[The LadyHonest ElizabethMan's MenFortune]]'' combinedwas withone of their early offerings; the cast list added to that play in the [[ChildrenBeaumont ofand theFletcher Chapelfolios|Childrensecond ofBeaumont Whitefriarsand Fletcher folio]], andof also, sometime[[1679 in literature|1679]] names the nextactors year[[Nathan orField]], two[[Joseph (ca.Taylor 1614(17th-15century actor),|Joseph withTaylor]], [[PrinceRobert Charles'Benfield]], Men[[William Ecclestone]], Emanuel Read, and Thomas Basse.

In 1613, Lady Elizabeth's Men combined with the [[Children of the Chapel|Children of Whitefriars]]; the combined troupe performed ''[[A Chaste Maid in Cheapside]],'' by [[Thomas Middleton]], at the Swan in [[1613 in literature|1613]]. Sometime in the next year or so, they joined in another combination with [[Prince Charles's Men]]. The company acted [[Ben Jonson]]'s ''[[Bartholomew Fair (play)|Bartholomew Fair]]'' at the newly built Hope Theatre on 31 October [[1614 in literature|1614]].<ref>Actor [[Robert Dawes]] joined the troupe in 1614; his individual contract with the company is the only such document that survives from the era – and its rigorous terms show something of how Henslowe did business.</ref>

In 1615 the combined company had a falling-out with Henslowe, and as a result drew up a list of their grievances, the "Articles of Oppression against Mr. Hinchlowe."<ref>Andrew Gurr, ''Shakespearean Stage,'' pp. 58 ff.</ref> Most of their complaints were financial in nature&mdash;that Henslowe loaned them money on extortionate terms, and the like; but they also accused Henslowe of withholding play scripts that the actors had paid for, and of having "broken and dismemb'red five companies" in three years.

In 1615 the combined company had a falling-out with Henslowe, and as a result drew up a list of their grievances, the "Articles of Oppression against Mr. Hinchlowe."<ref>Andrew Gurr, ''Shakespearean Stage,'', ppp. 58 and ff.</ref> Most of their complaints were financial in nature&mdash; – that Henslowe loaned them money on extortionate terms, and the like; but they also accused Henslowe of withholding play scripts that the actors had paid for, and of having "broken and dismemb'red five companies" in three years.

After Henslowe's death in 1616, the Lady Elizabeth's Men dissolved their bond with Prince Charles' Men, and left London to tour the provinces; they are absent from the extant records of the London theatres for roughly six years. During this era, they lost important cast members. Nathaniel Field joined the [[King's Men (playing company)|King's Men]] in 1616. [[William Ecclestone]] became a King's Man in 1614, as John Rice did around 1620; [[Joseph Taylor]], who had stayed with the Prince Charles' company in 1616 and had become their leading man, replaced [[Richard Burbage]] as the King's Men's lead actor when Burbage died in the spring of 1619. The leakage from the Lady Elizabeth's troupe included plays as well as personnel: plays by [[John Fletcher (playwright)|John Fletcher]] and his collaborators that had been in their repertory, including ''Cupid's Revenge,'' ''The Coxcomb,'' and ''The Knight of Malta,'' ended up as King's Men's plays.<ref>Andrew Gurr, ''The Shakespeare Company,'' pp.128, 159.</ref>

After Henslowe's death in 1616, the Lady Elizabeth's Men dissolved their bond with Prince Charles's Men, and left London to tour the provinces; they are absent from the extant records of the London theatres for roughly six years. During this era, they lost important cast members. NathanielNathan Field joined the [[King's Men (playing company)|King's Men]] in 1616. [[William Ecclestone]] became a King's Man in 1614, as [[King's Men personnel|John Rice]] did around 1620; [[Joseph Taylor]], who had stayed with the Prince Charles's company in 1616 and had become their leading man, replaced [[Richard Burbage]] as the King's Men's lead actor when Burbage died in the spring ofMarch 1619. The leakage from the Lady Elizabeth's troupe included plays as well as personnel: playsworks by [[John Fletcher (playwright)|John Fletcher]] and his collaborators that had been in their repertory, including ''[[Cupid's Revenge]],'' ''[[The Coxcomb (play)|The Coxcomb]],'' and ''[[The Knight of Malta]],'' ended up as King's Men's plays.<ref>Andrew Gurr, ''The Shakespeare Company,'', pp. 128, 159.</ref>

The Lady Elizabeth's Men reappear in London in 1622, when they are working for [[Christopher Beeston]]&mdash;in April 1624, for example, they performed [[Philip Massinger]]'s ''The Renegado.'' Defections continued: in 1624 Eliard Swanston left to join the King's Men. In 1625, they were replaced by, or combined with, the newly-created Queen Henrietta's Men.

The Ladycompany Elizabeth's Men reappearreappeared in London in 1622,. whenThe theyactors are workingworked for [[Christopher Beeston]]&mdash; in April [[1624, forin exampleliterature|1624]], they performed [[Philip Massinger]]'s ''[[The Renegado]].'' Defections continued: in 1624 [[Eliard Swanston]] left to join the King's Men. In 1625, theythe Queen of Bohemia's Men were replaced by, or combined with, the newly- created [[Queen Henrietta's Men]].

==Note==

In 1628 a new charter was granted to a successor company; this version of the troupe toured the provinces and showed little if any activity in London. It disappeared after 1632.<ref>Murray, pp. 259–62.</ref>

<references/>

==ReferenceRepertory==

The following list includes plays that are known or believed to have been acted by Lady Elizabeth's Men in the years cited, and suggests the general nature of their repertory:

* ''[[The Tragedy of Chabot, Admiral of France|Chabot, Admiral of France]],'' [[George Chapman]], 1613?

*Andrew Gurr, ''The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1642,'' Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992.

* ''[[A Chaste Maid in Cheapside]],'' [[Thomas Middleton]], 1613

*Andrew Gurr, ''The Shakespeare Company 1594-1642,'' Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

* ''The Coxcomb,'' [[Beaumont and Fletcher]], ca. 1614

*F. E. Halliday, ''A Shakespeare Companion 1564-1964,'' Baltimore, Penguin, 1964.

* ''Bartholomew Fair,'' Ben Jonson, 1614

* ''[[The Changeling (play)|The Changeling]],'' Middleton and [[William Rowley]], 1622

* ''[[The Bondman]],'' [[Philip Massinger]], 1623

* ''[[The Spanish Gypsy]],'' [[Thomas Dekker (poet)|Dekker]], [[John Ford (dramatist)|Ford]], and Rowley, 1623

* ''[[Cupid's Revenge]],'' [[Beaumont and Fletcher]], 1624

* ''The Captives,'' [[Thomas Heywood]], 1624

* ''The Renegado,'' Massinger, 1624

* ''[[Love Tricks]],'' [[James Shirley]], 1625

==NoteNotes==

{{theatre-stub}}

{{reflist}}

==References==

[[Category:Theatre companies]]

*[[Andrew John Gurr|Gurr, Andrew]]. ''The Shakespearean Stage 1574-&ndash;1642,.'' Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992.

[[Category:Theatre in the United Kingdom]]

*Andrew Gurr, Andrew. ''The Shakespeare Company 1594-&ndash;1642,.'' Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

*[[F. E. Halliday|Halliday, F. E.]] ''A Shakespeare Companion 1564-&ndash;1964,.'' Baltimore, Penguin, 1964.

* Keenan, Siobhan. ''Acting Companies and Their Plays in Shakespeare's London''. London: Arden, 2014. 33–51.

* Murray, John Tucker. ''English Dramatic Companies 1558&ndash;1642.'' Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1910.

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[[Category:1611 establishments in England]]

[[Category:Organizations established in 1611]]

[[Category:1632 disestablishments in England]]

[[Category:Organizations disestablished in the 1630s]]

[[Category:17th-century English male actors| ]]

[[Category:17th century in London]]

[[Category:TheatreEnglish early modern theatre companies]]

[[Category:English male stage actors| ]]