In early June 1594, Philip Henslowe recorded performances by a combined bill of the Lord Admiral’s Men and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men at Newington Butts. This is key early evidence that the Lord Chamberlain’s Men existed as an identifiable company and were active in the London play market. The record also shows how companies sometimes shared venues and repertory during a changing theatrical economy.
On 28 December 1594, The Comedy of Errors was performed at Gray’s Inn as part of the Inns of Court holiday revels. The event is unusually well documented and shows how elite legal institutions used theatre in their seasonal celebrations. It also demonstrates that the company’s work circulated beyond public playhouses into prestigious private venues.
During the 1595–1596 Christmas season, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men performed multiple times at the royal court. Court performances mattered because they brought prestige and income, and they linked the company to official systems that regulated entertainment. These appearances helped establish the troupe as a leading London company.
When Henry Carey (the company’s patron as Lord Chamberlain) died in July 1596, the company came under the patronage of his son, George Carey, and was known for a time as Lord Hunsdon’s Men. This change shows how theatre companies depended on noble protection and could be renamed as offices and titles changed. Continuity of patronage helped the company stay stable through political transitions.
In March 1597, George Carey became Lord Chamberlain, and the company returned to the name “Lord Chamberlain’s Men.” The episode highlights how closely the company’s public identity was tied to the court office that supervised royal entertainments. The restored name also signaled renewed official standing in London’s competitive theatre world.
In late December 1598, the Burbage family and their allies dismantled The Theatre in Shoreditch and moved its timbers across the Thames. This was a practical solution to lease and property disputes, and it enabled the company to control a major performance venue rather than rent one. The move set up the construction of the Globe and a new business model based on actor-shareholders.
On 21 February 1599, a lease was signed for the Bankside site in Southwark where the Globe would be built. The arrangement split control between the Burbage brothers and leading company members, including William Shakespeare, creating a shared-ownership structure. This legal and financial step helped secure the company’s long-term base and profits.
By May 1599, the Globe was ready to open and soon became the company’s flagship outdoor theatre. Its large capacity supported a high-volume commercial repertory, with plays repeated and rotated across the season. The Globe’s success helped make the Lord Chamberlain’s Men a dominant force in London theatre.
On 2 February 1602, John Manningham noted a performance of a play understood to be Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple. This provides a concrete date linking Shakespearean comedy to elite legal audiences and private hall performance. It also illustrates how the company’s work moved between public theatres and special-event venues.
After James I took the throne, the company received royal patronage and became the King’s Men in 1603. Royal support increased their prestige and tied them more directly to court culture and performance demand. This transition also marks a shift from an Elizabethan court setting to a Jacobean one, with new political themes and audiences in view.
On 1 November 1604, the King’s Men performed Othello at Whitehall Palace. The record shows the company’s continued importance at court and the central role of Shakespeare’s work in royal entertainment. Court performances like this also helped keep the troupe visible and favored during periods when public theatres could be restricted.
On 26 December 1606, King Lear was performed at Whitehall Palace for King James I. This is one of the strongest fixed points for dating the company’s major tragedies to specific court occasions. It also illustrates how the troupe’s repertory served both public audiences at the Globe and elite audiences at court.
In 1608, the King’s Men took over the Blackfriars as an indoor winter venue. Indoor performance allowed candlelit shows and typically higher ticket prices, making it a major business shift. Running both the Globe (summer) and Blackfriars (winter) helped the company reduce seasonal risk and broaden its audience.
On 29 June 1613, the original Globe burned down during a performance of Henry VIII (also known as All Is True). Contemporary letters describe the fire being started by stage effects, including a cannon shot that ignited the thatched roof. The loss of the theatre marked a dramatic break in the company’s Globe-centered phase and forced a rebuild and greater reliance on other venues such as Blackfriars.
The Lord Chamberlain's Men and Globe premieres (1594–1613)