Up now in 1.2 is @dr_pangallo speaking on Italian players in England in the 1570s! #OnBelonging
@dr_pangallo 1570s was a period of particularly condensed Italian theatrical activity in England. However, actors and nature of performance is often neglected in scholarship, in part due to limited documentary evidence. #OnBelonging
A hitherto unidentified passport helps to fill this gap by identifying names of Italians performing in England in 1574. #OnBelonging
Issued by the English ambassador in Paris, passport contains names of 13 Italians. Although they're not explicitly referred to as performers, there are certain clues… #OnBelonging
1) Certain names similar to actors found in later records; 2) geographic distribution (someone from Florence, another from Cremona, etc.) unlikely to represent diplomatic mission, but fits with the usual diverse makeup of Italian troupes… #OnBelonging
…3) Size of the group also aligns with typical size of troupe, including two women; 4) They had come from France, the conduit of Italian theatrical culture in the period. #OnBelonging
Document also illuminates well-known list of props for Italian players itemised in court records. It suggests that they packed light, leaving France with the knowledge that they would have materials provided for them. #OnBelonging
@dr_pangallo concludes by suggesting that such documents counter assumptions that performances by strangers in England were rare during the period. #OnBelonging
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