The Beggar’s Bush

This specific production does not yet have a description, but the play itself does:

The play is one of several works of English Renaissance drama that present a lighthearted, romanticized, Robin-Hood-like view of the world of beggars, thieves, and gypsies; in this respect it can be classed with plays of its own era like The Spanish Gypsy, Massinger’s The Guardian, Suckling’s The Goblins, and Brome’s A Jovial Crew, as well as a group of earlier works, like the Robin Hood plays of Anthony Munday.

Cast & Crew

Currently unknown; if you can provide some information about this production, please do add it to the site.

Photographs

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Observations

  1. On 20th November 1660 at 11:00 p.m., Samuel Pepys noted:

    Mr. Shepley and I to the new Play-house near Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields (which was formerly Gibbon’s tennis-court), where the play of “Beggar’s Bush” was newly begun; and so we went in and saw it, it was well acted: and here I saw the first time one Moone, who is said to be the best actor in the world, lately come over with the King, and indeed it is the finest play-house, I believe, that ever was in England.

  2. On 3rd January 1661 at 11:00 p.m., Samuel Pepys noted:

    it being very well done; and here the first time that ever I saw women come upon the stage.

  3. On 8th October 1661 at 11:00 p.m., Samuel Pepys noted:

    Late after dinner took Mrs. Martha out by coach, and carried her to the Theatre in a frolique, to my great expense, and there shewed her part of the “Beggar’s Bush,” without much pleasure, but only for a frolique, and so home again.

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