Cutlack
Historical Records
Henslowe's Diary
F. 9 (Greg I.17)
Under the play list for "my lord admeralls men" on 14-16 May 1594:
- Rd at Cvlacke the 16 of maye 1594 xxxxijs
Under the play list "begininge at newington for "my Lord ADmeralle men & my Lorde chamberlen men" for 10 performances, June 3-13:
ye 6 of June 1594 Rd at cvtlacke xjs
In Henslowe's play lists beginning 15 June 1594, the date on which W. W. Greg decided that the Admiral's players had returned to the Rose after their 10-day run at Newington with the Chamberlain's players:
ye 17 of June 1594 Rd at cutlacke xxxvs ye 24 of June 1594 Rd at cvtlacke xxvs ye 27 of June 1594 Rd at cvttlacke xxxvjs
F. 9v (Greg I.18)
ye 4 of Julye 1594 Rd at cvtlacke xxiiijs ye 15 of Julye 1594 Rd at cvtlacke xxxvs ye 29 of Julye 1594 Rd at cvtlacke xxixs ye 8 of aguste 1594 Rd at cvttlacke xiijs vjd ye 22 of aguste 1594 Rd at cvttlacke xxiijs vjd
F. 10 (Greg I.19)
ye 6 of septemb[er] 1594 Rd at cvtlacke xjs ye 26 of septmb[er] 1594 Rd at cuttlacke xiiijs
Theatrical Provenance
The newly formed Admiral's men introduced Cutlack without the enigmatic sign "ne" on 16 May 1594 when they acquired the lease at the Rose playhouse that they were to maintain until their move to the Fortune in the fall of 1600. They gave the play 12 performances before retiring it, apparently for good, as it does not reappear in records from Henslowe's diary. The absence of a "ne" suggests a prior history with another company before May 1594.
Probable Genre(s)
Tragedy? (Harbage)
Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues
If Alfred Harbage is right that "Cutlack" is a variant spelling of "Guthlac," the title character of the play may then have been the king of the Danes whose name Geoffrey of Monmouth spells "Guichlac" (III.2-4, 11). Internet Archive
This king
References to the Play
In Epigram #43, "Of Clodius," Everard Guilpin mocks a braggart who copies moves from characters in plays, one of which is Cutlack:
- Clodus me thinks lookes passing big of late,
- With Dunstons browes, and Allens Cutlacks gate :
- What humours haue possest him so, I wonder,
- His eyes are lightning, and his words are thunder:
- What meanes the Bragart by his alteration?
- He knows he's known too wel, for this fond fashion :
- To cause him to be feared : what meanes he than ?
- Belike, because he cannot play the man.
- Yet would be awde, he keepes this filthy reuell,
- Stalking and roaring like to lob's great deuill.
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Critical Commentary
Gurr renders general critical opinion of the allusion in Guilpen's epigram by interpreting "Allens Cutlacks gate" as a reference to the gait, or stride, of the character in the Admiral's play as performed by Edward Alleyn (203n). In another context, Gurr characterizes Cutlack as "heroic" (50).
For What It's Worth
Based on the supposition that "Cutlack" was the Danish king, Guichlac, the genre of the play might as well be "history" as "tragedy."
Works Cited
Guilpen, Everard. Skialetheia. 1598. Google Books
Site created and maintained by Roslyn L. Knutson, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; updated 8 March 2010.