Frederick and Basilea

Anon. (1597)

Historical Records

Plot (British Library Add. MS.10449, f.2)

(British Library Add. MS.10449, f.2, reproduced with permission)


The following transcription is reproduced from Greg, Papers, 136-37.

The plott of ffrederick & Basilea

Enter Prologue : Richard Alleine

Enter Frederick Kinge : Mr Jubie R Allenn To them Basilea seruant Black Dick, Dick.

Enter Gouernor Athanasia Moore : Mr Dunstann. Griffen Charles, To them Heraclius Seruants. Tho : hunt black Dick

Enter Leonora, Sebastian, Theodore, Pedro, Philippo Andreo Mr Allen, well, Mr Martyn. Ed. Dutton. ledbeter, Pigg : To them King frederick Basilea Guarde. Mr Juby. R Allen Dick Tho. Hunt, black Dick.

Enter Myron=hamec, lords. Tho : Towne. Tho Hunt ledbeter To them Heraclius, Thamar, Sam Charles.

Enter Gouernor Mr Dunstann, To hym Messenger Th : Hunt To them Heraclius Sam, To them Myranhamec Goliors.

Enter ffrederick, Basilea, R Allen Dick, To them Kinge Mr Jubie To them Messenger Black Dick, To them Sebastian, Heraclius, Theodore, Pedro, Philippo Andreo Thamar. Mr Allen, Sam : Mr Martyn. leadb : Dutton Pigg. To them Leonora, Will,

Enter ffrederick Basilea, R Allen : Dick. To them Philippo, Duttonn, To her King ffrederick, Mr Jubie R Allenn :

Enter, Myron=hamec Sebastian, Pedroe lords Tho : Towne. Mr Allenn, ledbeter. Attendaunts

Enter King Theodore ffrederick, Mr Jubie, Mr Martyn R Allenn. To them Philipo Basilea E Dutton his boye Guard Tho : Hunt. [Black Dick] Gatherers. To them messenger Black Dick. To them Sebastian Myron=hamec leonora Pedroe Andreo. Mr Allen : Tho Towne will : leadbeter Pigg guards gatherers.

Enter ffrederick Basilea To them Pedro confederates Robt ; leadb : Black Dick Gatherers.

Enter ffrederick Guard. Mr Juby R Allen Th : [Tow] Hunt &c. To them Sebastian [leonora] Theodore Myranhamec Guard Mr Allen. Martyn To them Pedro Basilea vpon the walls. come downe Pedro Basilea. ledb : Dick.

Enter Theodore Andreo. Mr Martyn Pigg To hym Thamar Heraclius Sam charles.

Enter ffrederick Basilea, ffryer, R Allen : Dick Mr Dunstann.

Enter Heraclius, Thamar, Andreo, Sam. Charles Pigg. To them ffryer. Mr Dunstann, To them Theodore Martynn

Enter ffrederick Basilea R Allen. Dick, To them ffryer Mr Dunstann, To them Heraclius Sam

Enter Leonora Myronhamec, Sebastian Goliors Will : Mr Towne, Mr Allen. Tho Hunt black Dick

To the queen Theodore Marynn.

Enter Heraclius Thamar sam charles To him Theodore ffryer Dunstan Martynn To them [------------------------------------------------------------------------------------] Enter King Basilea ffrederick Messenger Mr Juby R Allen Dick Black Dick. To them Sebastian leonora Myronhamec Thamar Goliors Mr Allen will Tho Towne Charles. Tho : Hunt Black Dick gatherers.

Epilogs R Allenn Finis : /

Performance Records (Henslowe's Diary)

F.27 / Greg 1.53:

Under the heading, "Jn the name of god amen begininge the 25 of novemb[er] 1596 as foloweth the lord admerall players":

June 15		97
	. .	3	. .	ne..	. .	tt at frederycke & basellia. . . . . . . . . .		02|02|01-13-04
		...
		9				tt at fredericke & baselia. . . . . . . . . .		01|00|00-00-00
		. .
		18				tt at fredericke & basilia. . . . . . . . . .		00|11|00-04-06
		. .
July 1597
		4				tt at fredericke & baselia. . . . . . . . .		01|00|01-14-06

Theatrical Provenance

Admiral's at the Rose. The plot provides for a cast of seventeen men and four boys (Kathman 127; Wiggins reckons 16 men and 3 boys).

Probable Genre(s)

Romance (Harbage).

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

Wiggins (1078) succinctly notes that "[i]n the course of the play, Theodore acts as liaison between Leonora and the Moors, but nothing more of the story may be gleaned from the surviving document".

References to the Play

<List any known or conjectured references to the lost play here.>

Critical Commentary

Schelling lists this play in his discussion of Italian commedia dell'arte or improvised drama-style as it was apparently known in England (196)

Rutter points out that the sheer number of roles allowed for by the plot would have made performing this play difficult: "The casting requirements of this play stretched the Company's resources to the limits: even the gatherers -- the men and women who collected admission money at the playhouse doors -- were brought on stage to make up the numbers" (111)

For What It's Worth

<Enter any miscellaneous points that may be relevant, but don't fit into the above categories. This is the best place for highly conjectural thoughts.>

Works Cited

Kathman, David. "The Seven Deadly Sins and Theatrical Apprenticeship." Early Theatre 14.1 (2011): 121-39.

Rutter, Carol Chillington. Documents of the Rose Playhouse. The Revels Plays Companion Library. Manchester: MUP, 1999.

Schelling, Felix Emmanuel. Elizabethan Drama, 1558-1642: A History of the Drama in England from the Accession of Queen Elizabeth to the Closing of the Theaters. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1908. Internet Archive

Site created and maintained by David McInnis, University of Melbourne; updated 29 October 2015.