Dear Me,

    Time for another chapter of Shakespeare's biography!!  This is probably one of the shortest parts of the book, with only two chapters.  I think it's so short because it deals with the "lost years" of his career, where he kind of drops off the map for a couple of years.

I'm still waiting for my stupid book to come in...ugh.

Hope this one is interesting.

Cheers

Murielle

Shakespeare: The Biography

by

Peter Ackroyd

Part Two

Chapter 19:  This Way for Me

It has become commonplace in Shakespearian biographies, that at roughly the age of twenty to twenty-eight, we get to the "lost years".  But no years are every really lost.  It has been surmised that he joined a company of travelling players, perhaps when they were passing through Stratford.  It has been suggested that he journeyed to London in the hope of joining one of the companies already performing there.  His previous association with Sir Thomas Hesketh's players (see Chapter 15)/  A clever young actor and aspiring dramatist, might have been welcome.

Did he join a company of travelling players when such a group performing in Stratford?  There is no record that he did and in any case a likely form of recruitment.  But in the seasons from 1583 to 1586, at least eight sets of players that performed in the town.  It has also been argued that he may have joined the Earl of Leicester's Men, in part because of a remake in a letter from Sir Philip Sidney referring to ``William my Lord of Leicester`s jesting player.` However. Sidney may have been referring to William Kempe.

One other company of players, the Queen`s Men, deserves former notice.  The Queen`s Men had been re-established to provide what might now be called dramatic propaganda on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.  They were a privileged group of players were formally chosen to play before the monarch at court.  The twelve actors had been selected from other companies and were considered to be at the height of their profession.  Among them was the comic Richard Tarlton.

The Queen`s Men began touring almost as soon as they were formed.  From the end of December to February they played at court.  They earned almost the double amount of other companies.  They were not just actors but acrobats and comics.  Richard Tarlton had his own act like that of many other comedians.

In 1588 the Queen`s Men were divided into two separate groups, with separate repertoires.  One group joined with the Earl of Sussex`s Men.  It may be at this time, Shakespeare also left them for another company.