Children of the Chapel

NOTE: The roles listed for any given actor do not necessarily coincide with roles that actor played while associated with this company. The listed roles reflect the complete extant corpus of that actor's career. Neither does the list necessarily suggest a chronology of performance. Though the listings are accurate, the scholar is nevertheless cautioned to research further.

From Gurr, Andrew The Shakespearian Playing Companies, Oxford UP, 1996.

Listed alphabetically

Baxter, Robert
(fl. 1601). Child actor (Chapel 1601). [ES ii, 301 [full citation] ; Nungezer, 33 [full citation] ; Eccles, 'Actors I', 39 (1991) [full citation] ]

principal actor, CYNTHIA'S REVELS;

Browne, John (II)
(d.1608). Boy actor (Children of Revels?). [ES ii, 304 [full citation]; Nungezer, 60 [full citation]]

Chappell, John
(circa1590-1632<). Boy actor (Chapel 1600-1), Latin playwright. [ES ii, 310 [full citation]; Nungezer, 90 [full citation]; JCS iii, 158 [full citation]; Rlde 2/14: 12 (1991) [full citation]]

Clifton, Thomas
(fl. 1600). Kidnapped for Chapel, but released. [ES, ii, 310 [full citation]; Nungezer, 93 [full citation]; Forse, 'Extortion' (1990) [full citation]]

Croker, John
(circa1590?-1625) (Crocker). Boy actor (Chapel). [Eccles, 'Actors I', 39 (1991) [full citation]]

Cutler, James
(>1605). Boy actor (Chapel). [ES ii, 313 [full citation]; Nungezer, 109 [full citation]]

Day, Thomas (I)
(circa1590?-1642<). Boy actor (Chapel), Master of Choristers in Westminster. [ES ii, 313 [full citation]; Nungezer, 115 [full citation]; JCS ii, 422 [full citation]; Woodfill, Musicians, 170, 185, 301-5 (1953) [full citation]; Sabol, 'New Documents', 15 (1966) [full citation]; Elliott, 'Plays at Christ Church' (1985) [full citation]; Limon, 'Neglected Evidence', 7 (1988) [full citation]]

actor, CYNTIA'S REVELS; POETASTER;

Eveseed, Henry (I)
(d.1614). Chorister in Chapel Royal (<1585). (Father of Henry Eveseed (II) (?)) [ES ii, 315 [full citation]; Nungezer, 132 [full citation]]

Field, Nathan
(baptized 7 October 1587, St. Giles's Cripplegate–circa1620). Actor (Chapel Children 1600-11, Lady Elizabeth's 1611-16, King's 1616-20), playwright, sharer. [ES ii, 316; iii, 313 [full citation]; Brinkley, Nathan Field (1928) [full citation]; Nungezer, 135 [full citation]; Peery, 'Nathan Field's Dates' (1946) [full citation]; Peery, Plays of Nathan Field, 3-25 (1950) [full citation]; JCS ii, 434; iii, 299 [full citation]; Hoy, 'Fletcher and His Collaborators' (1956-62) [full citation]; McMillin, 'Jonson's Early Entertainments', 161 (1968) [full citation]; Riddell, 'Actors', 293 (1969) [full citation]; Tricomi, 'Revised Bussy D'Ambois' (1979) [full citation]; Tricomi, 'Two Letters', 246 (1980) [full citation]; DLB 58: 86 (1987) [full citation]; Wills, 231 (1993) [full citation]]

actor, CYNTHIA'S REVELS; POETASTER; EPICOENE; ?Humphrey, KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE; actor, COXCOMB; HONEST MAN'S FORTUNE; mentioned by name as a particular favorite of Cokes in BATHOLOMEW FAIR, who calls him "best actor"; ?Littlewit, BARTHOLOMEW FAIR; actor, QUEEN OF CORINTH; KNIGHT OF MALTA; MAD LOVER; LOYAL SUBJECT;

Frost, John
(fl. 1601-34). Boy actor (Chapel), singer in masques. [ES ii, 318 [full citation]; Nungezer, 146 [full citation]; Sabol, 'New Documents', 15 (1966) [full citation]; Limon, 'Neglected Evidence', 7 (1988) [full citation]]

actor, CYNTHIA'S REVELS;

Grymes, Thomas (I)
(fl. 1600-01). Actor (Chapel). [ES ii, 320 [full citation]; Nungezer, 166 [full citation]]

?Jobson
(fl. 1607-8). Boy actor. [McMillin, 'Jonson's Early Entertainments', 162 (1968) [full citation]]

Marton, Thomas
(fl. 1602). Boy actor (Chapel). [ES ii, 329 [full citation]; Nungezer, 246 [full citation]].

actor, POETASTER;

Motteram, John
(fl. 1600-1). Actor (Chapel). [ES ii, 330 [full citation]; Nungezer, 257 [full citation]].

Ostler, William
(circa1585-1614). Actor, sharer. (Son-in-law of John Heminges) [ES ii, 331 [full citation]; Nungezer, 261 [full citation]; McMillin, 'Jonson's Early Entertainments', 162 (1968) [full citation]; Wills, 230 (1993) [full citation]]

actor, POETASTER; ALCHEMIST; CATILINE; VALENTINIAN; BONDUCA; Antonio, DUCHESS OF MALFI (the role later assumed by Robert Benfield);

Pavy, Salomon
(1588-circa1602) (Salathiel). Boy actor (Chapel). [ES ii, 332 [full citation]; Nungezer, 267 [full citation]; Gair, Children of Paul's, 64 (1982) [full citation]]

actor, CYNTHIA'S REVELS; POETASTER; Jonson eulogized him in An Epigram on Salathiel Pavy, a child of Queen Elizabeth's chapel. He was noted for his ability to play old men though he was scarcely thirteen.

Penn, William
(fl. 1609-36) (Penne). Actor (Queen's Revels 1609; Prince Charles' (I) 1616-25; King's 1628-36). [ES ii, 332 [full citation]; Denkinger, 'St. Botolph Aldgate', 104 (1926) [full citation]; Nungezer, 271 [full citation]; JCS ii, 523 [full citation]; George, 'Early Cast Lists' (1974) [full citation]]

actor, EPICOENE; LOVER'S MELANCHOLY; Julio Baptista, PICTURE; Merchant, Jailor, BELIEVE AS YOU LIST; Nantolet, WILD GOOSE CHASE (1631 revival);

Pykman, Phillip
(b.1587; fl. 1600-1). Actor (Chapel). [ES ii, 335 [full citation]; Nungezer, 289 [full citation]]

Smith, John (II)
(fl. 1609). Boy actor (Revels). [ES ii, 341 [full citation]; Nungezer, 334 [full citation]]

actor, EPICOENE;

Trussell, Alvery
(fl. 1600-1). Actor (Chapel). (apprentice to one Thomas Giles). [ES ii, 347 [full citation]; Nungezer, 380 [full citation]]

Underwood, John
(circa1588?-1624). Actor (Chapel 1601-circa1608; King's 1608-24); sharer. [ES ii, 348 [full citation]; Nungezer, 384 [full citation]; JCS ii, 610 [full citation]; Riddell, 'Actors', 294 (1969) [full citation]; Wills, 142 (1993) [full citation]]

actor, CYNTHIA'S REVELS; POETASTER; ALCHEMIST; CATILINE; VALENTINIAN; BONDUCA; QUEEN OF CORINTH; LOYAL SUBJECT; KNIGHT OF MALTA; HUMOROUS LIEUTENANT; CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY; DOUBLE MARRIAGE; LITTLE FRENCH LAWYER; WOMEN PLEASED; FALSE ONE; LAWS OF CANDY; ISLAND PRINCESS; PILGRIM; SEA VOYAGE; MAID IN THE MILL; LOVER'S PROGRESS; WIFE FOR A MONTH; Delio, Madman, DUCHESS OF MALFI;