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Hello, I'm Professor Susanna Lipscomb and welcome welcome to Not Just the Tudors from History Hit,

the podcasts in which we explore everything from Anne Boleyn to the Aztecs,

from Holbein to the Huguenots, from Shakespeare to Samarise,

relieved by regular doses of murder, espionage and witchcraft.

Not in other words, just the Tudors, but most definitely also the Tudors.

So that Desdemona could plead her innocence, or Cleopatra blaze across the stage in her burnished throne,

teenage boys in Renaissance London were stepping into silk gowns to play them.

In 16th century England, women did not perform professionally in the public theatres.

Instead, female roles were taken by highly trained apprentices,

boys bound to master actors in companies such as the Kingsmen,

who learned their craft through rigorous rehearsal, vocal discipline, and close mentorship.

Under figures like Richard Burbage, they progress from small parts to commanding tragic heroines,

shaping some of the most powerful roles in Shakespearean drama.

These boy actresses were not merely stopgaps.

They were skilled professionals embedded in a sophisticated theatrical system.

One standout was Richard Robinson,

...