Richard Burbage was the leading player of Lord Chamberlain's Men, a group that performed several of William Shakespeare's plays. Along with his brother Cuthbert Burbage, Richard owned the Globe Theatre. (PROSE: Diary Extract)
Biography[]
In 1597, Burbage portrayed King Richard III in Richard III at a time when the play was "just out" and had only had its previews. During one performance attended by Peri Brown and Erimem, Burbage broke character after he and the actor playing Elizabeth Woodville were repeatedly heckled by the audience. He told them to be quiet and when they simply laughed in response, Burbage escalated the confrontation to a full-blown fight with the troublesome theatre-goers. Later, after getting the performance back on track, it was derailed again when the Doctor's TARDIS materialised on stage. William Shakespeare emerged and told him to ""just go with it, Burbage, the show must go on", leading him to ad lib a line to explain the sudden appearance of the blue box. The real Richard III then exited the TARDIS and took Shakespeare to task for his unflattering and inaccurate depiction in the play. Burbage eventually realised he was another Richard III and adamantly declared that he would not be replaced mid-show. Richard, not interested in portraying himself, was amiable to this, instead borrowing Burbage's sword and using it to chase Shakespeare out of the theatre and across London. (AUDIO: The Kingmaker)
In 1599, Burbage saw a Carrionite in the Globe Theatre. He was with Will Kempe at the time and they decided not to tell anyone so they would not be suspected of madness. (TV: The Shakespeare Code)
In late 1601, Burbage visited an inn and listened to Shakespeare's outline of the play Twelfth Night with the Fifth Doctor. (PROSE: Diary Extract)
After seeing Burbage in the debut performance of King Lear, the First Doctor considered him a good actor, if "rubbish at portraying old men crushed by the delicious uncertainties of life." (PROSE: Byzantium!)
In the first staging of Macbeth, a performance attended by King James I and Queen Anne, Burbage portrayed the titular character. (PROSE: The Empire of Glass)
Behind the scenes[]
- He was played by Martin Clunes in the film Shakespeare in Love and Paul Freeman in the miniseries Will Shakespeare.
