A series of online talks presented in partnership with The Rose Playhouse in London. The Rose was one of London’s first purpose-built open-air theatres. The site was unearthed in 1989, and the archaeological remains have been preserved as a scheduled ancient monument. It is where the play Page of Plymouth was performed. The series of talks explored the literary heritage of Page of Plymouth and the world of Early Modern writing that Jonson and Dekker’s play would have been part of.
Talk 1 – 13th October 2025 – Helen Chaloner & David Prescott – Page of Plymouth – Ben Jonson & Thomas Dekker’s Lost Play
CEO of Literature Works, Helen Chaloner and Dramaturg and Producer David Prescott introduced the project that they devised, looking forward to the many workshops and events to come.
The story of Page of Plymouth was brought to life by actors Beth Park and Tim Frances, who gave moving performances of the ballads which imagine Eulalia and George awaiting execution.
Talk 2 – 27th October 2025 – Professor Grace Ioppolo – Introducing Philip Henslowe’s Rose
Professor Grace Ioppolo on theatre manager and financier Philip Henslowe and The Rose Playhouse, where Jonson and Dekker’s lost play would have been performed in 1599. It’s thanks Henslowe’s Diary – his record book – that so much is known about the Early Modern stage and the people who wrote for it. Henslowe recorded his payments on the building and on props and costumes for plays. He also recorded which writers he had paid and the plays they were paid to write.
Talk 3 – 26th – January 2026 – Dr Emma Whipday – Domestic Tragedy, Lost and Found
Dr Emma Whipday introduced us to the genre that the lost play Page of Plymouth belonged to and posed some interesting questions about what we might learn from performance when we no longer have a text.
Domestic tragedies were set in ordinary households, rather than royal courts. They dealt with the lives of ordinary people, middle-class and working-class families or individuals. They were often based – as in the case of Page of Plymouth – on real events, like true crime drama of the 21st century.
Talk 4 – 23rd March 2026 – Professor David McInnis – Lost Plays & The Rose
Professor David McInnis joined us in the early hours from Australia to give us an insight into the work of The Lost Plays Database. The database is a wonderful source of information about the astonishing number of plays that have been lost (many of which, like Page of Plymouth, would have been performed at The Rose Playhouse itself). It was a fascinating glimpse into the world of the Elizabethan stage that Jonson and Dekker were writing for. The number of parts actors might play in a six week period was staggering and audiences clearly had a keen appetite for new work.
Talk 5 – 27th April 2026 – Professor Tiffany Stern – Ballads as theatre merch in Shakespeare’s London
Professor Tiffany Stern explored the relationship of ballads to Early Modern Theatre and how they could be used to sell the stage versions of the stories they told. They were not only sold as entertainment in their own right (in print and in performance) but could be used to advertise plays, or provide a memory of a play. It’s possible that there was quite a diverse workforce distributing these ballads (we know for example, that a number of ballad sellers were women).
