EARL OF PEMBROKE’S COMPANY
A company of actors, under the patronage of the Earl of Pembroke, was well known in London and the provinces during the last decade of Elizabeth’s reign. Once more we have recourse to the Diary in determining the place where they played, but the document is silent concerning their repertoire.
In Henslowe’s Diary the following interesting notice is given of these players:
“A Just account of all such money as I have received of my Lord Admiral’s and my Lord of Pembroke’s men as followeth, beginning the 21st of October, 1597.”
The company were engaged at intervals until the 4th of March of the next year, giving in all twenty performances. These performances took place at the Rose. A few plays they acted in can be gathered from the printed title pages of plays which found their way to the press; one of these is particularly interesting: “A pleasant conceited history called the Taming of a Shrew, dated 1594.” The imprint states that it was acted by the Right Honourable the Earl of Pembroke his servants. This play is the one on which Shakespeare founded his own “The Taming of the Shrew.” The incidents are the same in both plays, the names only being changed. In Shakespeare’s play the removal of Sly from the palace to the outside of the Alehouse where he was found, is omitted, but perhaps this part of the induction may have been lost or mislaid when sent to the press.
A
Pleasant Conceited
Historie, called The taming
of a Shrew.
As it was sundry times acted by the
Right honorable the Earle of
Pembrook his seruants.
