For three decades, the Earl of Leicester's Men dominated the early Elizabethan stage and helped develop the main features of Shakespearean theatre. Leicester's Men and their Plays is the first book-length study of this foundational playing company, who toured more widely than any other company, performed more often for Queen Elizabeth's court than any other adult troupe, and established the first major playhouses near London. Building on decades of established scholarship, Laurie Johnson makes exciting new discoveries from primary sources and unearths the rich and fascinating life stories of the first Elizabethan players. His findings overturn fundamental assumptions of theatre history and provide new understandings of the players' circumstances and family origins. Through incisive research and engaging storytelling, Johnson shows how the players and their families adapted to life working under one of the most powerful nobles in the volatile Elizabethan court.

Honorable Mention, 2024 David Bevington Award, Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society

‘This book is going to be required reading for anyone working on the pre-Shakespearean theatre, and for anyone interested in the cultural and institutional origins of the drama of Shakespeare's own day. It offers a wealth of detail on the history, personnel, repertory, performance habits and touring practices of Leicester's Men, adding materially to existing narratives using unfamiliar archival data and details drawn from the most recent scholarship on the drama's written and archaeological traces. The result is a scrupulously-evidenced account that offers a powerful case for the historical importance of its subject.'

Tom Rutter - University of Sheffield

‘A compelling contribution to early modern theatre history, Laurie Johnson's The Earl of Leicester's Men and their Plays will shape our understanding of dramatic patronage, touring and the relationship between playing companies and dedicated playing spaces. In the process he sheds new light on the life-stories of players and their families, women's contributions to the business of theatre and the evidence for plays that are now lost. His book will be required reading for anyone interested in this pivotal phase in the development of theatre in England.'

Lucy Munro - King's College London

‘This book challenges several previous assumptions in theatre history, but more importantly, it reclaims the role of Leicester’s Men as key figures in the development of English theatre. Johnson makes the daily life of the company come alive in front of us, and by complicating our understanding of pre-Shakespearean theatre through a detailed analysis of the history of Leicester’s Men in terms of repertory, personnel, touring routes, and performance practices, his book will instantly become essential reading for all scholars of early modern theatre.’

Domenico Lovascio Source: Early Theatre