Playing Companies and Repertory

Leicester’s Men and the Lost <i>Telomo</i> of 1583

“…Admittedly, the addition of a dramatization of the classically inspired, Italianate-derived novella of Telamon and Castibula to Leicester's Men's repertory would to some extent go against conventional wisdom about said repertory, which included such titles as Predor and Lucia 1573 . 46 These titles, as Roslyn L. Knutson argues, 'suggest a repertory like those of the boy companies in its romances and moral plays, broadened by the inclusion of biblical subjects and folk or estate characters'. 47 However, the Telamon-Castibula plot seems more lamentably tragic and somehow less light-hearted than the narratives apparently implied by the other titles -albeit still uncontroversial enough not to upset the queen during the festivities, while at the same time effectively celebrating that ideal of chastity that was so nuclear to her persona and that she so strongly upheld.…”

“…46 These titles, as Roslyn L. Knutson argues, 'suggest a repertory like those of the boy companies in its romances and moral plays, broadened by the inclusion of biblical subjects and folk or estate characters'. 47 However, the Telamon-Castibula plot seems more lamentably tragic and somehow less light-hearted than the narratives apparently implied by the other titles -albeit still uncontroversial enough not to upset the queen during the festivities, while at the same time effectively celebrating that ideal of chastity that was so nuclear to her persona and that she so strongly upheld. Even though identifying with any degree of certainty the actual content of Leicester's Men's plays that we know of only through their titles is exceedingly difficult -if not impossible -assuming that they mainly focused on pastoral and classical themes in keeping with 'the classical and romance veins associated with humanism' that characterized the period seems safe enough.…”