Kipling, Gordon, “Richard Carew, the ordinary, the Ordinalia, and the ordinary actor on the medieval Cornish stage”, Medieval English Theatre 35 (2013): 23–94.
- journal article
The reliability of Richard Carew's description of the Cornish 'Ordinary' has long been a matter of considerable dispute. Did the Ordinary direct actors who had not memorized their lines by following them at their back and whispering their lines in their ears to be repeated aloud? This essay attempts to account for Carew's methods of research, and his interest in and knowledge of the Cornish language. Was his an eyewitness account, and did he have a sufficient command of the language to understand what he saw if he did? The essay also investigates the curious name of the Cornish play director, which seems genuine simply because it is unique. The essay also considers whether play direction in the manner Carew describes is possible in the context of the canon of Cornish drama, and offers evidence that these dramas were memorized in parts before performance. Finally, it considers whether Carew might have misunderstood a description of a well-established rehearsal methodology rather than a curious ‘medieval staging convention’.
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