6 - Tables and summaries

Summary

INFORMATION in the diary has been tabulated in the following pages in a form that, it is hoped, will prove useful to readers wishing to question certain conclusions in earlier chapters, or to follow up other lines of enquiry. The chronological list of the plays (Table I) establishes a number for each work mentioned in the diary which is occasionally used as the sole means of identifying a play. This means of identification has been resorted to in the Performance Calendar (Table II) where it was impossible to spell out the titles in full. Consequently, readers consulting the calendar will need to make frequent reference to the list of titles.

As explained in the text, the Performance Calendar, which is based on the 1592–7 income accounts, is arranged to show both the dating recorded in the diary (the calendar on the left-hand side), and an adjustment of those dates that has been suggested by W. W. Greg (the calendar on the right). In the former the dates of performance recorded by Henslowe are shown; the beginning of the playing week is underlined, and the dates of the ‘ne’ performances are indicated by an asterisk. The right-hand calendar shows the date of performance (by location), the title of the play (by number above the line), and the income recorded by Henslowe (in pounds, shillings, and pence below the line).