The Middle Cornish Interlude: Genre and Tradition

Authors

Evelyn S. Newlyn, State University of New York at Brockport

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:

Historical records for Cornwall, the southwesternmost county in England, detail the presentation after 1500 of a number of plays called "interludes."¹ Churchwardens' accounts, borough records, and mayors' accounts, particularly between 1550 and 1583, make specific reference to such performances. While the St. Ives borough accounts for 1572-73 note income received "for ye enterlude," historical records more commonly denote payments for performance. For example, the churchwardens' accounts of St. Breock, in 1566-67, record payment to "enterlwd players" who travelled from St. Dennis to perform; the Launceston borough accounts in 1574-75 paid for "Enterlude players i september"; the mayors' accounts of Liskeard in 1575-76 record payment on two occasions during that year for performances by "Enterlyde players"; and the churchwardens' accounts of Cam borne for 1577-78 cite payment "for expences payed to the interlude players." Additionally, some of the payments recorded for undesignated "plays" in Camborne, Bodmin, West Looe, Liskeard, and St. Columb Major may have also been for interludes, as may have been some of the payments to unspecified "players" in Bodmin, Launceston, Stratton, Antony, Camborne, St. Ives, and Liskeard.

Recommended Citation

Newlyn, Evelyn S. (1996) "The Middle Cornish Interlude: Genre and Tradition," Comparative Drama: Vol. 30: Iss. 2, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol30/iss2/6