Baltimore Shakespeare Factory is thrilled to present the Baltimore area premiere of Thomas Dekker’s hilarious London city comedy, The Shoemakers’ Holiday. The story is partially based on the real life Simon Eyre, a commoner who became the Lord Mayor of London.
Rarely performed in modern times, this play was first performed in 1599 by the Lord Admiral’s Men, the rival acting company of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Shakespeare’s company. Later it was performed for Queen Elizabeth I. It is a perfect example of the popular city comedy made famous by writers such as Shakespeare’s friend, Ben Jonson. The city comedy genre makes the city of London itself a shadow character, and it is also fascinating for its insight into the lives of London’s common people.