Early performances
Lord Strange's Men staged a play that the records call Jeronimo on 23 February 1592 at The Rose for Philip Henslowe,[3] and repeated it sixteen times to 22 January 1593. It is unlikely, however, that the performance in February 1592 was the play's first performance, as Henslowe did not mark it as 'ne' (new).[3] It is unclear whether Jeronimo was The Spanish Tragedy, or The First Part of Hieronimo (printed in 1604), the anonymous "prequel" to Kyd's play, or perhaps either on different days.
The Admiral's Men revived Kyd's original on 7 January 1597, and performed it twelve times to 19 July; they staged another performance conjointly with Pembroke's Men on 11 October of the same year. The records of Philip Henslowe suggest that the play was on stage again in 1601 and 1602. English actors performed the play on tour in Germany (1601), and both German and Dutch adaptations were made.[4]
Modern performances
The Spanish Tragedy was performed at London's National Theatre, first in 1982 at the Cottesloe Theatre, with Michael Bryant in the role of Hieronimo, directed by Michael Bogdanov.[5] It transferred to the Lyttelton Theatre in 1984.[6]
The Royal Shakespeare Company performed The Spanish Tragedy in May 1997 at the Swan Theatre, directed by Michael Boyd.[7][8] The cast included Siobhan Redmond as Bel-imperia, Robert Glenister as Lorenzo, Peter Wright as Hieronimo, Jeffry Wickham as the King of Spain. The production later transferred to The Pit at London's Barbican in November 1997.[9][10]
An amateur production of The Spanish Tragedy was performed 2–6 June 2009 by students from Oxford University, in the second quad of Oriel College, Oxford.[11] Another amateur production was presented by the Hyperion Shakespeare Company 21–30 October 2010 with students from Harvard University in Harvard's New College Theatre.[12] In November 2012, Perchance Theatre in association with Cambridge University's Marlowe Society staged a site-specific production in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. In October/November 2013, the Baron's Men of Austin, TX performed the work in a near-uncut state, with period costumes and effects, at Richard Garriott's Curtain Theater, a mini replica of the Globe Theater. Another amateur production was presented by the Experimental Theater Board of Carleton College 27–29 May 2015.[13]
Other professional performances include a modern-dress production[14] staged at the Arcola Theatre in London in October–November 2009, directed by Mitchell Moreno,[15] with Dominic Rowan as Hieronimo, as well as a production in Belle Époque era costume, staged by Theatre Pro Rata[16] in Minneapolis in March 2010, directed by Carin Bratlie.
The play has never been filmed or staged on television; however, the play has been produced a number of times on radio by the BBC:
- 11 October 1953, BBC Third Programme, with Cecil Trouncer as Hieronimo, Denise Bryer as Bel-Imperia and Peter Coke as Lorenzo.[17]
- 02 March 1969, BBC Radio 3, with John Laurie as Hieronimo, Rosalind Shanks as Bel-Imperia and Anthony Jacobs as Lorenzo.[18]
- 06 November 1994, BBC Radio 3, with Oliver Cotton as Hieronimo, Kristin Milward as Bel-Imperia and Jonathan Cullen as Lorenzo.[19] This production marked the 400th anniversary of Kyd's death.
- 12 November 2023, BBC Radio 3, with Robert Glenister as Hieronimo, Joanna Vanderham as Bel-Imperia and Sandy Grierson as Lorenzo.[20]
