In addition to whatever public performances there were around 1613–1614, evidence suggests a performance of The Two Noble Kinsmen at Court in 1619. In 1664, after theatres had re-opened after Charles II returned to the throne at the beginning of the English Restoration period, Sir William Davenant produced an adaptation of The Two Noble Kinsmen for the Duke's Company titled The Rivals. Thomas Betterton played the role of Philander, Davenant's version of Palamon. Samuel Pepys saw Davenant's production, and judged it "no excellent play, but good acting in it" (10 September 1664).[4]: 416, 507
Modern revivals
In July 2007, the Hudson Shakespeare Company of New Jersey staged a version of the play as part of its annual Shakespeare in the Parks series. Director David Sewell set the production in ancient Greece with an ethnically diverse cast reflective of its Mediterranean setting.[8][9]
A production opened on 9 June 2015 at the White Bear Theatre in Vauxhall, London—the first London production of the play since 2000.[10] In 2016, Royal Shakespeare Company staged a version of the play at the Swan Theatre, and the play was part of the 2018 summer season at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London.[11][12] An earlier production was staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre's inaugural season in 1986.[13]
In 2019, The Porters of Hellsgate in Los Angeles staged a production in a rep with Double Falsehood.[14] The production, directed by Will Block, re-purposed the Morris Dance as a hallucination featuring major characters from the Jailer's Daughter's life. It also excised Palamon and Arcite's prayers, focusing the scene instead on Emilia's dilemma.
January 25th February 4th 2024 the Toronto based Shakespeare Bash'd Theatre Company staged this play in Toronto at The Theatre Centre Incubator (1115 Queen St West) with Kate Martin as Princess Emilia, Emilio Vieira as Palamon and Michael Man as Arcite.
