Shakespeare’s colleague John Heminges was apprenticed to grocer James Collins and when Collins died his widow Anne took over as apprentice master/mistress. My latest King’s Women blogpost takes up Anne’s story……….

My latest post for the Kings Women follows the archival traces of two women in the 1580s who ran their own businesses and took on apprentices, Anne Collins and Annabell Baye, paid up members of the Grocers Company. www.kingswomen.org/post/the-sis... #earlymodern #womenshistory #londonhistory

My latest post for the Kings Women follows the archival traces of two women in the 1580s who ran their own businesses and took on apprentices, Anne Collins and Annabell Baye, paid up members of the Grocers Company. www.kingswomen.org/post/the-sis... #earlymodern #womenshistory #londonhistory

www.kingswomen.org/post/alice-t... The latest blogpost from the King’s Women looks at new evidence identifying the woman who served drinks to theatregoers at the Globe tavern.

www.kingswomen.org/post/alice-t... The latest blogpost from the King’s Women looks at new evidence identifying the woman who served drinks to theatregoers at the Globe tavern.

I love maps - historic and modern - so Callan Davies’s latest article is a particular delight. shakespearestage.substack.com/p/navigating...

www.theguardian.com/stage/ng-int... Agree with Michael Billington? Disagree? Either way, an excellent reminder of brilliant productions and performers, many of which shaped my own early theatregoing.

My latest blogpost for the Kingswomen introduces Rebecca Edwards: she married star actor William Knell at 14, was widowed at 15, then married Shakespeare’s colleague, John Heminges. www.kingswomen.org/post/rebecca... #earlymodern #womenshistory

My latest blogpost for the Kingswomen introduces Rebecca Edwards: she married star actor William Knell at 14, was widowed at 15, then married Shakespeare’s colleague, John Heminges. www.kingswomen.org/post/rebecca... #earlymodern #womenshistory

One of the First Comedy Double Acts? open.substack.com/pub/shakespe... Another great Friday piece from Callan Davies, this time on an Elizabethan husband and wife stand up duo.

This travelogue post shares some of my new playhouse research, on the back of a very insightful trip to see some 400-year-old Spanish playhouses. It’s helped me understand the Shakespearen theatre scene more keenly. open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...

History's Most Prolific English Playwright? open.substack.com/pub/shakespe... Latest post from Callan Davies - an introduction to and appreciation of Thomas Heywood, Shakespeare’s truly prolific contemporary.

How to Become a Tudor Playwright (and Fail) open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...

Stuck in traffic on your way to work? Here’s an excellent read from Callan Davies. A Shakespearean History of Traffic open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...

I went in search of “our other Shakespeare” to find some of London’s less obvious theatre history. Meet Thomas Middleton just off the Elephant and Castle… open.substack.com/pub/shakespe...

Great blog by Callan Davies about Margaret Brayne and the (literal) building of the Theatre. shakespearestage.substack.com/p/margaret-b...

I somehow doubt that I’m going to beat this total in 2026: 2025 was such a great reading year. But I’ll aim to at least match the figure.

The hospice which provided so much support in the last few weeks of my husband’s life is losing a major funding source - please consider helping if you can. Any or all of us may need the support of a hospice in the future. www.arhc.org.uk/protectourca...

No risky footwear for me when mounting steps to the stage to receive my doctorate yesterday. Huge thanks to everyone who’s helped and supported me through the last 9 (yes, 9) years.

Excited to be shortlisted for the @araukie.bsky.social Record-Keeping Service of the Year award for 2025! We believe our team is incredible, and if you think so too, we’d love your vote! Click below to support us: 👇 www.archives.org.uk/recordkeepin... #RecordKeeping #ARA

Excellent first conference yesterday organised by the Revels Office with a fantastic range of speakers (sorry, including me!) and a brilliant keynote by Catherine Richardson. Same time next year??

We were, of course, toasting a fine paper by @lucyholehouse.bsky.social 🙌

Everyone’s generosity has already helped me surpass my fundraising target of £1000. Please don’t stop now! Thank you.

On 21 June I’m joining this walk to raise funds for our local hospice, whose Hospice at Home team provided practical and emotional support so that my husband, David, could remain at home as he wished. Their work is vital - please support it! Thank you. arhc.enthuse.com/pf/meryl-peart

On 21 June I’m joining this walk to raise funds for our local hospice, whose Hospice at Home team provided practical and emotional support so that my husband, David, could remain at home as he wished. Their work is vital - please support it! Thank you. arhc.enthuse.com/pf/meryl-peart

Beautiful mural street painting in the Netherlands, by Jan Is De Man This makes my heart sing ❤️📚 #BookSky

Lecture series!👩‍🏫 'Performing (in) the Early Modern City': join myself, Dr Lydia Valentine, and Prof. Clare McManus Thursdays 29th May-12th June to hear about secret performance, sky-high performance, and the influence of civic performance on race-making in early modern London. 🧵more info below!

academic.oup.com/sq/article/7... Excellent article by Heloise Senechal on the area of Southwark around the Globe just published in the latest Shakespeare Quarterly.

academic.oup.com/sq/article/7... Excellent article by Heloise Senechal on the area of Southwark around the Globe just published in the latest Shakespeare Quarterly.

Home now after a hugely enjoyable relaxed viva conversation this afternoon with Drs Callan Davies and Simon Smith. Lots of interesting thoughts to ponder. Thanks to both of them and also to my supervisors Prof Tiffany Stern and Dr Tara Hamling. A joy to have you all there!

I strongly recommend getting to the Medieval Women exhibition at the British Library if you can. There's lots of incredible women, but most interestingly for me lots of nuns using religion to live their own lives. Want a monkey? Become a nun! Want to wear a pretty dress? Become a nun!

At a local history evening class in 1988 @drsueoosthuizen.bsky.social told me about the Leper Chapel in Cambridge. Today I finally got to see it inside. Thanks, Sue.

Thanks to Laurie Johnson and Siobhan Keenan for leading a great theatre history seminar at SAA yesterday. My first time as a seminarian and I felt so welcomed and supported. Thanks to all my seminar colleagues, too.

OTD in 1579 Annys/Agnes Woodward married her late husband’s former apprentice, Philip Henslowe. www.kingswomen.org celebrate her 445th wedding anniversary in today’s blogpost.

Walked into Cambridge this morning setting off in brilliant sun, ending soaked, to find Laurie Johnson’s new book, Leicester’s Men and their Plays on the shelves at the CUP bookshop.

On my way home after a few hours in the archives with the 16&17 century vestry minutes of St Mary Aldermanbury. Makes me even more grateful than ever for the superb transcriptions of St Saviour’s Southwark minutes online by Ingram & Nelson.