Admiral's Men facts for kids
The Admiral's Men was a famous group of actors, also known as a playing company, during the time of Queen Elizabeth I and the Stuart kings in England. They were one of the most important acting groups of their time, second only to Shakespeare's own company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Over the years, their name changed a few times, reflecting who their main supporter, or "patron," was. They were also called the Earl of Nottingham's Men, then Prince Henry's Men, and later the Elector Palatine's Men or Palsgrave's Men.
How it Started
The company first started as the Lord Howard's Men. Their patron was Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham, a very important person. Having a powerful patron like him was a huge help for the acting group. Even though he wasn't directly involved in plays, he helped keep the public theatres open when some people in London wanted to close them down.
The group performed for the Queen at Court several times in the late 1570s. They also traveled a lot, performing in many towns across England.
When Lord Howard became the Lord High Admiral in 1585, the group changed its name to the Admiral's Men. They continued to perform regularly. However, an accident during a show in 1587 caused them to stop performing for a short time. After this, they returned to the stage.
Even with a powerful patron, the Admiral's Men sometimes faced challenges. Officials in London tried to stop them from performing in 1589. During this difficult time, they even performed at The Theatre, one of the first public playhouses. Here, their star actor, Edward Alleyn, acted alongside a young Richard Burbage, who would later become a rival.
Despite these problems, the Admiral's Men were still popular. They performed for the Queen and toured many towns. This was a great time for them, especially because Edward Alleyn was amazing at playing the main characters in plays by Christopher Marlowe, a very famous writer. Plays like Tamburlaine were very popular.
The Henslowe Years
In the late 1580s, the Admiral's Men began working closely with Philip Henslowe. He was a theatre owner and manager who helped build and run playhouses. Henslowe's Rose Theatre became the main home for the Admiral's Men for many years. He acted as their manager and helped fund their shows.
Around 1592 to 1594, all public theatres had to close for a long time because of the bubonic plague. But when they reopened in 1594, the Admiral's Men started a very successful period.
Their lead actor was still Edward Alleyn. Other important actors included George Attewell, who was known for his dancing and clowning, and John Singer, another popular clown. The company performed many plays by writers like George Chapman, William Haughton, and Anthony Munday.
We know a lot about the Admiral's Men during this time because of Henslowe's "Diary." This was actually an account book that showed how busy the actors were. For example, in one year (1594–95), they performed six days a week and put on 38 different plays! 21 of these were brand new plays. This shows how much work the actors had to do to learn new roles so often.
The company often performed plays by Christopher Marlowe, like Doctor Faustus and The Jew of Malta. The most popular play during this time was an unknown play called The Wise Man of Westchester, which was performed 32 times.
Henslowe later built another theatre called the Fortune Theatre in 1600. The Admiral's Men moved there, and it became their new home. The company continued to do well in their new theatre.
Around 1603, after a new king came to the throne, the Admiral's Men got a new patron: Prince Henry, the king's son. So, they became known as Prince Henry's Men. Edward Alleyn retired from acting in 1604 but still owned the Fortune Theatre. After Prince Henry's early death in 1612, the company found a new patron in his brother-in-law, Frederick V, Elector Palatine. They then became the Elector Palatine's Men.
Decline
The company faced a big disaster when the Fortune Theatre burned down in 1621. This fire destroyed their play scripts and costumes. Edward Alleyn rebuilt the theatre, making it stronger with brick. The actors moved back in, but it was hard for them to fully recover.
The Admiral's Men continued to perform for several years, but their fame slowly faded. The company finally stopped performing in 1631. After this, some of the same actors formed a new group called the second Prince Charles's Men, named after the young Prince Charles, who would later become King Charles II.
Repertory
The Admiral's Men performed a huge number of plays over their many years. Henslowe's Diary lists dozens of them from just a few years. Most of these plays have been lost and we only know their titles. Here are some of the important plays that have survived:
- The Blind Beggar of Alexandria, by George Chapman, 1596
- An Humorous Day's Mirth, by George Chapman, 1597
- The Downfall and The Death of Robert Earl of Huntington, by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle, 1598
- Englishmen for My Money, by William Haughton, 1598
- The Shoemaker's Holiday, by Thomas Dekker, 1599
- Sir John Oldcastle, by Munday, Robert Wilson, Richard Hathwaye, and Michael Drayton, 1599
- When You See Me You Know Me, by Samuel Rowley, 1605
- The Roaring Girl, by Dekker and Middleton, 1611
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