William Shakespeare never mentions the celebration of Candlemas by name in his works, but we know Shakespeare was involved in the celebration of Candlemas in 1602 from a diary entry written by a man named John Manningham, who wrote about attending a performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, on February 2 of that year, the traditional Feast Day of Candlemas.This 1602 performance took place at Middle Temple Hall, one of the ancient and prestigious training and education establishments for lawyers in the heart of London. Shakespeare also spent Candlemas in other years with his acting troupe at the royal court, producing plays for Elizabeth I and James I.
What was Candlemas? How was it celebrated? Why was Shakespeare involved in staging plays for the Queen and King? What did they look like, and why were they performed on Candlemas? Who was there? And what do we know about how the plays were received?
To answer these questions, and to introduce us to the holiday of Candlemas, and to Shakespeare as a court performer, welcome to our guest Brett Dolman, historian and curator at Hampton Court Palace, where Shakespeare himself once performed.
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Brett Dolman
Brett Dolman is a curator and historian of the 16th and 17th centuries. He works for Historic Royal Palaces, the charity who look after the unoccupied old royal residences of the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Palace, Kensington Palace, the Banqueting House in London, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. He is responsible for the management, research, display and interpretation of the history of Hampton Court, and the paintings and artworks at the palace … and has a special interest in the history of royal entertainment, including Shakespeare as a court performer.
I’ll be asking Brett Dolman about:
- Why is the holiday called Candlemas, and are candles a particular feature of the celebration?
- As a religious church service, what are the main elements of a Candlemas Mass?
- Many Christians take down their Christmas decorations by Twelfth Night, but others will wait until after Candlemas. For Shakespeare’s lifetime in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, what was typical? Was Candlemas considered the end of the Christmas season?
- …and more!
Read more about the connections between Shakespeare and Hampton Court Palace inside their article here.
Books and Resources Brett Dolman recommends:
Brett Dolman, Drama and Debate the Court of James I
Alvin Kernan, Shakespeare the King’s Playwright
Eamon Duffy, The Stripping of the Altars
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That Shakespeare Life is always excited to connect with fellow Shakespeareans who love learning something new about the bard. Subscribe to our show on your favorite listening platform, and please consider leaving us a rating and a review to help our show reach new listeners!
That’s it for this week! Thank you for listening! I’m Cassidy Cash and I hope you learn something new about the bard.
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Fun fact;
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, with twins Viola and Sebastian separated by a shipwreck, each thinking the other drowned, and the coincidence of the first known performance of the play taking place at the Middle Temple on 2 February 1601-2. This day, Candlemas, was the seventeenth anniversary of the baptism of the Poet’s own twins.
Stratford -upon-Avon baptismal register. 2 Feb. 1584-5. Hamnet & Judeth sonne & daughter to Williã Shakspere
Regarding the mention of John Manningham, see
Bruce, J (Ed.) The Diary of John Manningham of the Middle Temple and of Bradbourne, Kent, Barrister-at-law 1602-1603, p.18, Westminster, 1868. ‘At our feast wee had a play called “Twelue Night, or What you Will,” much like the Commedy of Errores, or Menechmi in Plautus, but most like and neere to that in Italian called Inganni.
Hello John! How lovely to hear from you. Thank you for taking the time to read and contribute to this episode. These are great points and excellent resource suggestions.