Book review of: Gentlemen of a Company: English Players in Central and Eastern Europe, 1590-1660: by Jerzy Limon

This is the first book of its kind in English. It is a comprehensive and scrupulously researched account of the theatrical activity, of professional groups of players who left England for Central and Eastern Europe between the years 1590 and 1660. Touring on such a scale was an unprecedented phenomenon, and in an introductory chapter Dr Limon establishes its causes within the context of English acting traditions on the Continent in general. He describes its distinctive phases, examines the fortunes of particular companies, and stresses the significance of noble patronage, which enabled the players to survive even the most severe times. The book's main chapters deal with English theatrical activities in various specific towns and regions: Gdansk, Elbing, Königsberg, Pomerania, Livonia, Warsaw, Bohemia and Austria. Additional sections discuss two key theatre institutions in Gdansk and Warsaw. His book is illustrated with seventeenth-century engravings of theatre sites in the relevant regions. It will be valuable to all scholars and students of English and Continental theatre and drama.