‘Players’ in Context: Determining Performance in Medieval Accountancy Records

Chambers, Mark

Abstract

Arguably the largest source of REED material of their kind so far collected, the accounts of Durham’s medieval monastic community provide evidence for plays, music, and performers from around the palatinate, including payments to istriones, joculatores, and ministralli performing for various occasions. With accountancy material, however, it can be difficult deciding if individual entries represent evidence of performers or performances per se, or what the nature of any performance might have been. This essay examines these issues in Durham’s accountancy records, looking particularly at Finchale Priory’s so-called ‘playerchambre’: instances in which evidence of ‘performance’ is uncertain and/or only determinable by wider consideration of context.

Citation

Chambers, M. (2020). ‘Players’ in Context: Determining Performance in Medieval Accountancy Records. Early Theatre, 23(2), https://doi.org/10.12745/et.23.2.4383

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Dec 24, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 8, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 8, 2021
• Journal: Early Theatre
• Print ISSN: 1206-9078
• Electronic ISSN: 2293-7609
• Publisher: Becker Associates
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12745/et.23.2.4383
• Keywords: Medieval and early modern drama, performance, accounts
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1254169