James and George Peele -Elizabethan Pageant Poets for the City

James and George Peele, Elizabethan pageant poets for the City of London

George Peele (1556-1596) is best known as a late Elizabethan playwright, a contemporary of Christopher Marlowe who may have collaborated with Shakespeare. He also had a simultaneous career as a ‘pageant poet’ and impresario for the City of London, following in the footsteps of his father James. Both were members of the Salters’ Company, one of the Great Twelve livery companies of London, and James Peele was Clerk of Christ’s Hospital, one of the City’s major charitable bodies. Father and son were crucial figures in the development of important civic entertainments such as the Lord Mayor’s Show, which coincided with, and can be used to throw light on, the early days of the professional London playhouses.

Professor Tracey Hill’s illustrated talk will discuss the traces of James and George Peele in the City archives, and reveal the many parallels between their civic pageants and the Elizabethan theatre.

Please note: Further information for joining online via Zoom will be provided to participants 24 hours prior to the event, when bookings end.