Gerrard Herbert's Reports about Drama Performances, 1617–19

Abstract:Gerrard Herbert, a keen observer of the Jacobean court but of undetermined identity, wrote a series of letters in the period of 1617–19 that respond to dramatic performances, usually court masques. In some cases, Herbert provides the only extant information about certain productions, most notably that of Shakespeare's Pericles in May 1619. His personal letters cover a range of topics, but this essay focuses on his accounts of drama, including the loss through fire of Whitehall's Banqueting House in January 1619, a loss of a crucial theater venue. The crowning achievement for Herbert, in terms of commentary on drama, came in his apparent eye-witness account of the Pericles performance, recorded in his last letter about drama. A transcription of the pertinent parts of the letter is included here. Herbert as letter writer provides information, insight, and perspective on a court caught up in the splendor of masques and dramatic performances. He thereby expands knowledge of English theater history in its richest period.