Ancient records of travelling players performing Shakespeare's plays in Yorkshire revealed in new online collection

Historical records, of medieval and early modern drama and theatre in what was once the North Riding of Yorkshire, have been published freely online for the first time.

What they hint at is a rich history of travelling players, forbidden intrigue, and an affiliation with Shakespeare that extended, even in his time, as far from his realm as Scarborough.

Such records, of plays and performances from some centuries ago, have long existed in diary notes and ancient manuscripts more often squirrelled away in rare book stores or library collections.

Now, under a vast global research project, they are brought to the fore, made freely available by the Records of Early English Drama (REED) project, and supported by the British Academy.

Prof John Craig, specialising in Early Modern English History, is chairman of the REED executive board.

What these records show, he said, is evidence of Yorkshire’s theatrical past, and how that shapes modern perceptions of entertainment today.

He added: “It gives us information about a world that is lost. In many ways it shows us just how rich the dramatic traditions are in this country.

“When we think about things such as ‘panto season’, what this team is uncovering is the foundation from which the very evolution of dramatics has come.”

The records date from as early as around 680, with Bede’s account of Caedmon, the gifted singer of Whitby Abbey, to post-Reformation, with notices of the Scarborough Waits in 1641-2.

This includes evidence of contemporaries of Shakespeare performing his plays, such as ‘King Lere’ or ‘Perocles’ in the region – along with a repertoire of illicit, anti-Protestant material.

Forbidden

One piece, dating from the early 17th century, outlines how two touring theatre companies staged anti-Protestant drama for audiences in the region, which remained strongly Catholic and recusant.

The companies were touring without gentry patronage – which was forbidden – and tried to stay ahead of assize courts by pretending to be shoemakers and weavers when they were apprehended.

Prof Craig, who is from the department of history at Canada’s Simon Fraser University, said the research adds context to a “explosion” of dramatics under Elizabethan rule, and to the world in which Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe’s work had grown.

'Striking'

He added: “REED is uncovering the foundations and the longevity of performance traditions in this country which are really quite striking.

“There’s some fascinating stuff, that isn’t locked away in a rare book shop, or a university library. That is tremendously important.

“History is written by the ‘powerhouses’, by the victors,” he added.

“Now there is the possibility of people globally having this understanding of what was happening in Scarborough in 16th century England.

“This is a wonderful free education, of literary research, surviving manuscripts, and evidence of families involved in a whole range of dramatic performances that were taking place in England.”

Research

REED, as a research project funded by partners such as the National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences, has been producing record accounts for more than 40 years, but this is the first time they have been published digitally for an area of Yorkshire.

David Klausner, Professor Emeritus of English and Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto, has edited the Yorkshire North Riding edition, with reams of research analysed and annoted in compiling a vast online collection. This can be found by clicking here or searching Yorkshire Riding REED on the British Academy website or online at the University of Toronto.__________________________________________________________

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