Category:Thomas Pope

Thomas Pope was a player with a long and successful career. As a member of Leicester's men, he played on the Continent at such locations as Elsinore (1586) and Dresden (1587). Following the earl's death, he joined the newly-forming company of Lord Strange's men probably as early as Christmas 1588/9; in May 1593, he was named among the company players licensed by the Privy Council for touring. He joined the Chamberlain's men at its formation in 1594, and the remainder of his career was spent with that company. In the course of that career, he acquired shares in both the Curtain and Globe playhouses. Legal records show that Pope was involved in some kind of dispute with Oliver Woodliffe, known in theatrical circles as "lessee of the Boar's Head" playhouse (Eccles, p. 301). As did many of his theatrical contemporaries, Pope lived in the parish of St. Saviour's, Southwark.

His will, dated 22 July 1603, is evidence of his financial security and personal network. He names his mother and two brothers (John and William); he names one woman, "susan gasqune," whom he raised from birth, and another, Mary Clarke, to whom he left residential property as well as his shares in the Curtain and Globe; and he names apprentices (Robert Gough, John Edmonds) to whom he left all his "wering aparrell" and "armes" (Honigmann and Brock, 70).

His parts may have been predominantly comic, if Samuel Rowlands in Satire #4 of The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine is accurate in calling him "Pope the Clowne" (Nungezer, p. 286). Eccles cites T. W. Baldwin as having considered Pope the player of such parts as Falstaff and Sir Toby Belch (p. 301 [Baldwin, The Organization and Personnel of the Shakespearean Company, pp. 231-5, 408-9]).

Roles

Arbactus ("Sloth") The Second Part of the Seven Deadly Sins"
Cast list (Every Man In his Humour)
Cast list (Every Man Out of his Humour)

Works Cited