The Spanish Tragedy - Performance

Performance

No details on the earliest performances of the play in the late 1580s have survived. Lord Strange's Men staged a play that the records call Jeronimo on 14 March 1592 and repeated it sixteen times to 22 January 1593; it was their big hit of the season. It is unclear whether Jeronimo was The Spanish Tragedy, or The First Part of Hieronimo (printed in 1604), the anonymous "prequel" to Kyd's play, or perhaps either on different days.

The Admiral's Men revived Kyd's original on 7 January 1597, and performed it twelve times to 19 July; they staged another performance conjointly with Pembroke's Men on 11 October the same year. The records of Philip Henslowe suggest that the play was on stage again in 1601 and 1602. English actors performed the play on tour in Germany (1601), and both German and Dutch adaptations were made.

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