Actor and impresario. As a young actor, Beeston was a colleague of William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and the tragedian Richard Burbage. He became the leader of the Queen's Men, a troupe devoted to acting the plays of Thomas Heywood. They started at the Red Bull, but moved to the Cockpit in 1616, after Beeston had commissioned Inigo Jones to redesign the latter. It did not last long: former patrons burned it down the following year as a protest against the higher entrance fees. Upon rebuilding, Beeston wryly changed its name to The Phoenix. The Queen's Men disbanded in 1619 after the death of their patroness, Queen Anne of Denmark (wife of James I), and were replaced by Beeston's Boys. They lasted for nineteen years, until the death of their manager.
Actor and impresario. As a young actor, Beeston was a colleague of William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and the tragedian Richard Burbage. He became the leader of the Queen's Men, a troupe devoted to acting the plays of Thomas Heywood. They started at the Red Bull, but moved to the Cockpit in 1616, after Beeston had commissioned Inigo Jones to redesign the latter. It did not last long: former patrons burned it down the following year as a protest against the higher entrance fees. Upon rebuilding, Beeston wryly changed its name to The Phoenix. The Queen's Men disbanded in 1619 after the death of their patroness, Queen Anne of Denmark (wife of James I), and were replaced by Beeston's Boys. They lasted for nineteen years, until the death of their manager.
Advertisement
Advertisement
