Performing <i>The Maid's Metamorphosis</i> , then and now

This essay opens by probing what can be extrapolated about the early performance history of the anonymous comedy The Maid's Metamorphosis (1600), performed by the Children of Paul's, based on its title page statement, internal evidence from the play, and contemporary letters. It argues it may have been conceived as part of the nuptial festivities for Anne Russell and Henry Somerset, Lord Herbert (Blackfriars, 16 June 1600). Then, it moves to consider what the recent revival of the play by Edward's Boys (spring 2024), in England and in France, may reveal about the portability of this show.