The best line in A Humorous Day's Mirth is "I will in silence live a man forlorn, / Mad and melancholy as a cat." But a close second is "Never was minion so disminioned." #AdmiralsMarathon

Today at Reading Early Plays (REP) we are reading the two-part "Robin Hood", by Anthony Munday (published as the "Robert Earl of Huntingdon" plays). It starts with fun metatheatre: the plays are framed as a rehearsal for a performance to Henry VIII. readingearlyplays.com/oxfordmarathon… #AdmiralsMarathon

One of the many insane things about Munday's Robin Hood plays is that Friar Tuck keeps randomly speaking in Skeltonics. Wish you were here, @lucycmunro , you might be able to justify this nonsense. #admiralsmarathon

Part 1 of 'Robin Hood' ended with the brilliant dramaturgical device of summarizing the plot of Part 2. 🤷‍♂️ #AdmiralsMarathon

In "Robin Hood Part 2" (1598), there's no Sherriff of Nottingham, but Doncaster is a delightfully evil equivalent. Try reading this speech in Alan Rickman's voice... #admiralsmarathon

Anthony Munday's "Robin Hood" plays are a dramatugical disaster. Part 1 one is good fun. But then it overlaps clumsily into Part 2, in which Robin Hood dies in Act 1 to be followed by a humourless four acts about King John and Matilda. Fie on thee, Munday, fie. #AdmiralsMarathon

This afternoon, Reading Early Plays (REP) is reading William Haughton's "Englishmen for My Money or a Woman Will Have Her Will", which one of our members describes as "the ultimate funny voices play". readingearlyplays.com/oxfordmarathon… #AdmiralsMarathon

A lot of of "Englishmen for My Money" is like this: "God’s seker kind, dat’s un fraai meisje." "Ah Venice, Roma, Italia, Francia, Inghilterra, nor all dis orb can show so much bellezza" "Certes, me dink de mine de petite-a de little Anglais, de me matre!" #admiralsmarathon

As far as I can tell, the moral of "Englishmen for My Money" is that Englishmen may be jerks but at least they're not foreigners. 🤷‍♂️ #AdmiralsMarathon

This evening, Reading Early Plays (REP) , broadcasting to you live from Oxford, is enjoying a bit of local colour by reading The Two Angry Women of Abingdon by Henry Porter (1598). readingearlyplays.com/oxfordmarathon… #AdmiralsMarathon

The Two Angry Women of Abingdon is quite delightful. It is way, way too long, but not, I think, because Porter is being paid by the word, but because he loves his characters too much and he loves theatre too much, and he loves Oxfordshire too much. Bless him. #AdmiralsMarathon

This morning at Reading Early Plays (REP), we are reading Sir John Oldcastle, the play by Shakespeare’s rivals that sought to redeem the reputation done to Oldcastle by the character of Falstaff! #AdmiralsMarathon readingearlyplays.com/oxfordmarathon…

The premise of the play “Sir John Oldcastle” is “Falstaff was actually a virtuous and devout Protestant!” But that is boring. So the authors have created a fat, sleazy, highway-robbing catholic priest, also called Sir John, who does all the Falstaffy stuff. #AdmiralsMarathon

This afternoon, Reading Early Plays (REP) is reading Old Fortunatus, Thomas Dekker’s weird comedy about a man who finds a magic hat. Wish @dnmcinnis were here! 😀#AdmiralsMarathon readingearlyplays.com/oxfordmarathon…

Today is a three play day! The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green, The Devil and his Dame, and Hoffman. We’re going to need more biscuits! readingearlyplays.com/oxfordmarathon…

The School of Night Caroline Fay Burgon Henslowe as a Blog Look at our website. Join us. A bit late for our in-person marathon, but we have many delicious Lord Chamberlain's Men plays on Zoom in weeks to come. Members also have the chance to listen to our archive. readingearlyplays.com/plays

Looking for your next read? 'The Changeling: The State of Play' ed. by Gordon McMullan & Kelly Stage is now available in paperback and 25% off in our #BacktoUni sale! Orders to the US or Canada use codes: BTS23US / BTS23CA Everywhere else: BTU23UK bit.ly/3sQPfXK

This afternoon, the Reading Early Plays (REP) #AdmiralsMarathon concludes with a reading of The Whore of Babylon, Thomas Dekker's bizarre fairyland allegory of Anglo-Spanish relations! readingearlyplays.com/oxfordmarathon…

Edward Alleyn’s wooden chest, which kept intact his and Philip Henslowe’s massive archive on their careers in 16th-17th c. London theatre performance and playhouse ownership. The chest and keys are still on display and maintained Dulwich Archive henslowe-alleyn.org.uk/history/a-brie… #Woodensday

Thanks to all who stopped by the CADRE (Co-authored Drama in Renaissance England CADRE) digital exhibit Shakespeare Association of America in Portland. Interested in contributing an entry? See here for more info: cadredb.net/index.php/How_…