Event Comment: The
King's Company. For an edition of this play from the MS prompt copy, see
The Change of Crownes, ed.
F. S. Boas (
Oxford University Press, 1949). For the consequences of
Lacy's ad libbing, see 16, 20, and 22 April, and 1 May.
Pepys, Diary: I to the King's house by chance, where a new play: so full as I never saw it; I forced to stand all the while close to the very till I took cold, and many people went away for want of room.
The King and
Queene, and
Duke of York and
Duchesse of York there, and all the
Court, and
Sir W. Coventry. The play called
The Change of Crownes; a play of
Ned Howard's the best that ever I saw at that house, being a great play and serious; only
Lacy did act the
country-gentleman come up to Court, who do abuse the Court with all the imaginable wit and plainness about selling of places, and doing every thing for money. The play took very much....
Gervase Jaquis to the
Earl of Huntington, 16 April: Here is another play house erected in
Hatton buildings called the
Duke of Cambridgs play-house, and yester-day his Matie the Duke & many more were at the King's Playe house to see some new thing Acted (
Hastings MSS, HA 7654,
Huntington Library)
Performances
Mainpiece Title: The Change Of Crowns
Performance Comment: Country Gentleman-Lacy.