William Kempe
William Kempe († 1603 ), commonly known as Will Kemp , was an English actor and dancer, a subscriber to the comic trade, and known as one of the original performers of William Shakespeare's early works . One role associated with his name is the remarkable comedic creation of Falstaff, and his contemporaries considered him a worthy successor to the famous clown Richard Tarlton .
In December 1598 he was one of five core members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men , along with Shakespeare and Richard Burbage . When there were disputes within the troop shortly afterwards, he separated from them. He became known to posterity through a dance performance that he performed in 1599 over nine days and 177 kilometers from London to Norwich.
Life
In a court case brought against her father John Heminges by Thomasina Ostler (nee Heminges), widow of William Ostler, in 1615, the recently deceased actor William Kempe was mentioned as a gentleman ( Willelmo Kempe nuper de Londonia generoso defuncto ), and it will believed he was a member of the Kempe family from Olantigh, a property a mile north of Wye , Kent :
( translated into German ): Kempes ancestry is unknown, although it has been suggested that, despite his popular style of representation, he was in some way related to the Kempes of Ollantighe near Ashford in Kent, who were a wealthy Catholic dynasty. Sir Thomas Kempe (1517–1591) actually had a son named William; However, this conclusion is doubted, since this William was already buried on March 27, 1597 in the church of Wye (Honneyman, 125–9; Bannerman, 3; private information, A. Findlay). Nonetheless, this putative connection could help explain the rather surprising story - dramatized in The Travailes of the Three English Brothers (by Day, William Rowley and George Wilkins from 1607) - that William Kemp, the actor, Was in Italy in 1601 and met the famous traveler Sir Anthony Shirley: he and his two equally famous brothers were related to the Kempes of Ollantighe through their mother, the daughter of Sir Thomas Kempe. The actor may have a relationship with Ollantighe somewhere outside the family tree; or perhaps, by recommending himself to the famous Shirley, he was opportunistically exploiting the name he shared with Shirley's mother.
Kempe appears in the historical records for the first time in May 1585 as a member of the Leicester's Men on the occasion of an appearance on their patron, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in his town house. He continued this service when the Earl took part in the Eighty Years' War in what is now the Netherlands . Leicester's nephew, Philip Sidney , took his letters home with a man whom he called "Will, my Lord of Lester's jesting player". It is now generally assumed that this was Kempe. In a letter he sent to Francis Walsingham , Sidney complained that "Will" had delivered the letters to Lady Leicester instead of Sidney's wife, Francis Walsingham . After a brief return to England, Kempe accompanied two future members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, George Bryan and Thomas Pope , to Helsingør (English outdated: Elsinore), where they played for the entertainment of Frederick II of Denmark .
Nothing is known about Kempe's whereabouts in the later 1580s, but his fame as a performer grew during this period; this is indicated by the piece "An almond for a parrot" ( Thomas Nashe , 1590). Nashe dedicated the piece to Kempe and called him the "worthy representative of the ghost of Dick Tarlton" ("vicegerent general to the ghost of Dick Tarlton")
Critics generally complained that the scenes in which Kempe appears as rather flat. It is believed, however, that the scenes provided a framework in which Kempe could improvise. Entries in the register of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers indicate that three jigs (comparatively short sketches ) possibly written by Kempe were published between 1591 and 1595. Two of them have been preserved.
From 1592 on, Kempe was a member of the Lord Strange's Men drama troupe , which was also registered with the Privy Council , allowing them to perform up to seven miles outside of London. In 1594, after the ensemble was dissolved, Kempe joined the Lord Chamberlain's Men along with Burbage and Shakespeare and stayed with this company until he left in early 1599 due to some events. Although he was a partner in the plans to build the Globe Theater, he was not listed in any cast list of the theater productions of the theater, which opened in mid-1599. Likewise, references from Shakespeare's Heinrich V , in which none of his roles of Falstaff no longer appear and, as in Hamlet, his famous complaint about improvisational clowning is heard (3rd act, second scene), give a possible explanation of the circumstances why Kempe left. Kemp played his last role in Shakespeare in 1598.
Nine Days Wonder
After retiring from the Chamberlain's Men in early 1599, Kempe continued his acting career. In February and March 1600 he did what he later referred to as his “Nine Day Miracle”, performing the Morris Dance , an English rhythmic folk dance (the bells attached to the legs are characteristic ) from London to Norwich (approx. 110 miles , or 177 km) ran; a trip that together took nine days, but spread over several weeks.
It should be based on a bet. He was accompanied by the piper and tabor player Thomas Slye , his servant William Bee and an informant named George Sprat , who was supposed to certify the correct execution of the bet. Kempe started his entourage on the first Monday of Lent 1599 (March 1st) from the London borough of Whitechapel . He danced ("daunst") towards Essex, saw a bearfight in Stratford , rested in Romford and was crowded with people in Chelmsford . Between Chelmsford and Braintree , one of his ever-changing volunteer companions fell into a muddy pothole and sank up to his waist. After Braintree it went on to Sudbury . There he was joined by a sturdy, tall butcher boy who wanted to dance with him to Bury (a distance of around 28 km). Kempe agreed, but after only half a mile (800 meters) he gave up, saying that he would not even be willing to go for 100 pounds and walked away. A “burly country girl” called after him that he was a “cowardly guy” and offered, amused by the bystanders, to join her, even “if it cost her her life”. If Kempe would just lend her a couple of bells, she would dance a mile.
Kempe writes:
“I lookt vpon her, saw mirth in her eyes, heard boldnes in her words, and beheld her ready to tucke vp her russet petticoate, I fitted her with bels: which she merrily taking, garnisht her thicke short legs, and with a smooth brow bad the tabrer begin. The Drum strucke, forward marcht I with my merry Maydemarian: who shooke her fat sides: and footed it merrily to Melfoord, being a long myle ”
“I looked at her, saw serenity in her eyes, heard boldness in her words and saw her ready to get her red-brown petticoat up; I furnished her with bells, which she happily took and adorned her fat short legs and a gentle lifting of the eyebrow let the tabor begin. The drum beat, I marched forward with my "merry maid Marian", who shook her fat hips and happily carried her on foot to Melfoord , which was a mile. "
Finally, he gave her, the recognizable drinker, a crown to buy a drink.
In Bury St Edmunds he had to pause for a few days due to heavy snowfall.
Then one Saturday (presumably) he reached the gate of Norwich and was greeted by the admiring crowd. The mayor Roger Wiler , accompanied by other dignitaries ( Norwich City Corporation ), guaranteed him free access to the city of Norwich at all times (not a matter of course for traveling actors at this time) as well as the payment of 40 shillings a year until the end of his life. (for comparison: a visit to the theater cost between a twelfth (= one pence ) and half a schilling , depending on the equipment of the theater (closed, roofed or open) and space (standing room or seating ).
On departure, Kempe jumped over a very high church fence. The jump was so sensational that his shoes ("buskins") were nailed to the wall of the guild hall in honor of this sporting achievement.
Since the calendar was previously adjusted in 1582 ( Julian calendar to Gregorian calendar ), doubts arose about the correctness of this "jig". Kempe then published a detailed description of the action under the title "Kemps nine daies vvonder" in order to appease the doubters.
The phrase “Nine days' wonder” found its way into the English language and is now used, interpreted in various ways, as a book or music title. But mainly one means a novelty that loses its charm after a few days. However, this phrase is said to have an earlier origin and Kempe leaned on it in the description of his action.
Last years
However, his further activities after Kempe's famous performance are as dark as his origins. A hint from The Travels of the Three English Brothers is that he may have made another European trip and probably reached Germany and Italy. In 1601, a “John Kempe” accompanied a group of 11 actors (“Engellender”) who performed in Amsterdam, Cologne, Steinfurt and Münster (here from November 26th to December 2nd). However, there is evidence that he borrowed money from Philip Henslowe in 1601 and became a member of Worcester's Men . The last reliable mention of Kempe was in Henslowe's diary at the end of 1602.
In the records of the parish of Southwark (St. Savior) at the end of 1603 there is the entry "Kempe, a man". Even if this is not about the famous comedian, it still coincides with the end of all mentions of Kempe.
Form of representation
In his day, Kempe was better known for his jigs than for his acting in regular drama. The Jig, a kind of rustic cousin of the Commedia dell'arte , introduced up to five actors in a partially improvised song and dance number. Jigs had plots, often clumsy, but the emphasis was on dance and physical comedy. Two of the Kempe jigs are in English and two more in German. Jig examples can be found in John Dowland's manuscript collection (now in the Cambridge University Library ). A well-known jig of the 16th century aptly bears the name Kemp's Jig.It was published in John Playford's first work , The English Dancing Master from 1651. The melody has received a number of modern interpretations over the years, for example by the Dutch jazz guitarist Jan Akkerman or the band Gryphon .
As an actor, Kempe is sure to be associated with two roles: Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing and Peter in Romeo and Juliet . He is identified on the title pages of both plays as well as in Shakespeare's folio under Much Ado About Nothing in the prefixes of the speaking roles and the stage directions. A list of Kempe's roles was derived from this evidence, although they are only presumed, but not unlikely: Costard in Lost Loves' Labor , Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream , Lancelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice and Cob in Ben Jonson's “Every Man in His Humor ". Falstaff is to be considered separately; although Falstaff displays some of the characteristics of an Elizabethan dramatic clown, his character in the class is higher up and more complex than the other roles Kempe is associated with.
Contemporary mention
- Kempe appeared as a character in the Parnassus plays , presumably composed during his lifetime or shortly thereafter. In it, he praises Shakespeare for surpassing university degree dramatists.
In modern factories
Movie and TV
- In the 1978 television series Will Shakespeare , Kempe is portrayed by Derek Royle as a dumb alcoholic. He was kicked out of the ensemble and replaced by Robert Armin . Armin set a trap for Kempe.
- In the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love directed by John Madden , he was played by the veteran character actor Patrick Barlow .
- He was portrayed by John Voce in the 2005 television movie "A Waste of Shame" .
- In 2007, Kempe appeared in an episode of Doctor Who called The Shakespeare Code ; Kempe was played by David Westhead .
- In a 2016 BBC sitcom ("Upstart Crow") Kempe was portrayed by Spencer Jones , who in turn resurrected him as a parody of Ricky Gervais .
- In the 2017 television series Will , he was played by William Houston (actor) .
literature
- Kempe is a key figure in Kevin Sylvester's youth novel Neil Flambé and the Bard's Banquet (Part 5 of The Neil Flambe Capers series) from 2015, Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books ISBN 978-1-4814-1038-0
- In Neil Gaiman's 1991 graphic novel Sandman - Traumland , Kempe was described in the issue A Midsummer Night's Dream (issue 19). A short and award-winning (fictional) story about the premiere of that play.
- Kempe also appeared in King of Shadows , a 1999 children's book showing Kempe as a clown dancing his Nine Days Morris . Publisher: Penguin, ISBN 0-689-82817-9
- In Harry Turtledove's alternative world story from 2002, the novel "Ruled Britannia", Kempe is one of the main characters. His private personality is indistinguishable from the characters he plays on stage and his antics ensure a lot of humor in the novel, which plays in a time of great peril.
- The novel "The True Prince" by JB Cheaney, published in 2004, shows Kempe among the Lord Chamberlain's Men .
- On Kempe's Jig refers Geoffrey Hill in his poem "After Reading Children of Albion (1969)" from his book A Treatise of Civil Power , published of 2007.
There are several books that have Kempe's "Nine Day's Wonder" as their title or content. These include works by Charles Hamilton Aide (1875), Bithia Mary Croker (1906) and John Masefield (1941).
Plays
- Kempe was the title character of the Elizabethan comedy Will Kemp by the US theater maker Dan Roentsch.
- William Gibson portrays Kempe as a melancholy tragedian in his 1968 piece "A Cry of Players", a significant departure from Kempe's actual playing style.
- In 2008 comedian Tim FitzHigham repeated Kempe's dancing Nine Day's Wonder from London to Norwich. This performance formed the basis for his piece "The Bard's Fool", which he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe that same year .
literature
- William Kempe (Ed .: Alexander Dyce, 1840): Kemps nine daies wonder online in the Internet Archive
- William Kemp starred in A Knack to Know a Knave (author unknown); Date of first known edition, 1594 (Dyce Cllection to S. Kensington), reproduced in facsimile, 1911, online at archive.org
- Martin Butler: Kemp, William (d. In or after 1610?) , Broadview Pres, ODNB 9780198614128 , ISBN 978-1-77048-299-9
- Douglas Richardson: Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families - New Expanded 2011 Edition, Vol. 3, CreateSpace, 2011 ISBN 978-1-4499-6639-3
- Charles William Wallace: Advance Sheets From Shakespeare, the Globe, and Blackfriars , Stratford Head Press 1909 ISBN 978-1-77048-299-9
- Records of Early English Drama - Norwich 1540–1642 , 1984, 114–115 Norwich Mayors' Court Books XIII p. 418 - receipt of payment to Kemp for his "jig".
- Tim Fitzhigham The Bard's Fool . In: Chortle . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- RC Soon: Leicester's Men in the Low Countries. Review of English Studies , 1943
- John Payne Collier Lives of the Original Actors in Shakespeare's Plays , Shakespeare Society 1853
- James Nielsen: Kempe at the Globe , Shakespeare Quarterly No. 44, Johns Hopkins University Press 1993
- Edwin Nunzeger: A Dictionary of Actors and of Other Persons Associated With the Public Presentation of Plays in England Before 1642 , Yale University Press | 1929
- James Shapiro: 1599, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare , Prologue and Chapter 1, "A Battle of Wills" 2005
- Louis Wright: Will Kemp and Commedia dell'Arte Modern Language Notes 41, 1926, pp. 516-520
Web links
William Kempe in the Encyclopædia Britannica
Individual evidence
- ^ Charles William Wallace: Advance Sheets From Shakespeare, the Globe, and Blackfriars, Stratford Head Press 1909, p. 7
- ↑ Martin Butler (Ed.): Kemp, William (d. In or after 1610?) . Broadview Press, 2004, ISBN 978-1-77048-299-9 , doi : 10.1093 / ref: odnb / 15334 (English).
- ↑ The Earl rewarded Kempe's performance with a special payment of 10 shillings .
- ^ A b Edmund Kerchever Chambers , The Elizabethan Stage, 4 volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1923; Volume 2, pages 292 online
- ^ Samuel Schoenbaum (Ed.): William Shakespeare: A Compact Documentary Life . Oxford University Press, 1987, ISBN 0-19-505161-0 , pp. 184 (English).
- ^ John Payne Collier, Lives of the Original Actors in Shakespeare's Plays , Shakespeare Society 1853, 97
- ↑ James Shapiro, (2005). 1599, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare . Faber and Faber, London. Pages 42-49.
- ↑ Robert Horn Back The English clown tradition from the Middle Ages to Shakespeare , 2013
- ^ The Phrase Finder
- ↑ Johannes Janssen, Melchior Röchell a. a .: The Münster Chronicles by Röchell, Stevermann and Corfey , Münster 1865 online
- ^ Mathew Holmes lute books: Kemp's jig . Cambridge Digital Library. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ Report in New York magazine from June 16, 1986 in the Google book search
- ↑ Tim Fitzhigham The Bard's Fool . In: Chortle . Retrieved September 26, 2019.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kempe, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kemp, Will |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English comedian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 16th Century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1603 |
| Place of death | London |