Today I want to pay tribute to William Kemp, an early modern actor who was contemporarily, incredibly popular. A clown character, his parts were famous draws for audiences, and he was renowned for 'stealing the show' on a number of occassions. A title page in the work A Knack to a Know a Knave indicates the substantial draw he held not just for theatregoers, but also within the wider cultural milieu. A composer of jigs (Kemp was also a dancer), he is nonetheless best remebered as the inheritor of the previous epochs king clown, Richard Tarlton, of the Queen's Men, and for his involvement in the Lord Chamberlain's men, the troupe which, amongst other illustrious dramatists, will inevitably and eternally, be best remebered as William Shakespeare's gang.

So, Kemp is a big deal. I'm just going to pick up on probably the best thing (subjective) he ever did, and, I might add, anyone ever did. Not content with playing clowns or composing jigs, Kemp had a masterstroke. Why not go on tour? But would a simple tour be enough for Kemp? Oh no. A self-publicist as well, and famous for his engagement with audiences, a simple tramp through England wouldn't really do it. So what does Kamp decide to do?


He spends nine days (with considerable breaks - clown he may be, athlete he is not) travelling from London to Norwich. It's worth adding that, counter to today, where Norwich would not be a remarkable entry in a list of, 'least remarkable places in Britain', Norwich in the late Elizabethan period was England's second city. So a pilgrimage between the two most important cities in England seems a good idea - plenty of urban culture vultures to appeal to for support. But Kemp goes one better.

He does the journey on foot. But instead of walking, he morris-dances. The whole way.


There he is, kitted out in all the latest gear, with bells on. No, literally, with bells on. Note that he doesn't really have a think, pubic-hair-like beard, it's just the fault of the Bodleian's copy of Kemp's record of the event. He dedicates it to Queen Elizabeth, which is thoughtful, because, along with her virginity, the cult of Gloriana, and a bit of a shine for the Earl of Essex, Elizabeth will always be remebered for her insatiable appetite for morris dancing. If the idea itself wasn't bizarre enough (and perhaps if it isn't, you can suggest something to trump Kemp's dance-a-thon) his documenting of the event is equally profound. I enclose a section from his ninth day, as he enters Norwich:

It was the mischance os a homely maide, that belike, was but newly crept into the fashion of long wasdted peticotes tyde with points, & had, as it seemed but one point tyed before, and comming vnuckily in my way, as I was fetching a leape, it fell out that I set my foote on her skirts: the point eyther breaking or stretching, off fell her peticoate from her waste, but as chance was, thogh his smock were course, it was cleanely: yet the poore wench was so ashamed, the rather for that she could hardly recouer her coate again from vunruly boies, that looking before like one that had the greene sicknesse, now she her cheekes all coloured with scarlet. I was sorry for her, but on I went...

Absolute genius. William Kemp, we salute you. I dub the 20th of April Kemp Day from now until forever. Amen.

Labels: renaissance, William Kemp

"The circle of human knowledge, illuminated by the pale, cold light of reason, is so infinitesimally small, the dark regions of human ignorance which lie beyond that luminous ring so immeasurably vast, that imagination is feign to step up to the borderline and send the warm, richly colored beams of her fairy lantern streaming out into the darkness ; and so, peering into the gloom, she is apt to mistake the shadowy reflections of her own figure for real beings moving in the abyss.

Sir James George FrazerThe Golden Bough

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I'm a 23 year-old student in London Cambridge London, studying English Literature Law. It's hard to really think of anything truly personal I can put here that might give you some idea of who I am, so I will just tell you that my favourite Shakespeare play is Richard II, my favourite chocolate bar is Snickers, and I have a bit of a thing for instant coffee, especially if someone else makes it for me.

I'm interested in Renaissance Literature, Higher Education policy, and libraries.
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