Wednesday, January 1, 2020

QUIBBLING REVELRIES




(A man in expensive clothes and wearing a gold chain of office enters. He is the official censor, from the Lord Chamberlain's office.) 


LYNLEY: 
Excuse me! Hold hard a moment. 
This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? 
I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. 
As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office 
and examined by me before it can be performed. 
SHAKESPEARE: 
Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round. 
LYNLEY: 
I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. 
The script, now! 
SHAKESPEARE: 
I can't. 
LYNLEY: 
Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled. 
MARTHA: 
It's all go around here, isn't it? 
LYNLEY: 
I'm returning to my office for a banning order. 
If it's the last thing I do, "Love's Labours Won" will never be played. 

(Lynley leaves and goes down the stairs.)

From the TARDIS Data Core Wiki:
Lynley was the Lord Chancellor when William Shakespeare wrote the play "Love's Labours Won" in 1599. When he said to William Shakespeare that "Love's Labours Won" would never be played because of short notice, a Carrionite called Lilith killed him by drowning him with her doll, filling his lungs full of water.

However......


From Wikipedia:
The Master of the Revels was the holder of a position within the English, and later the British, royal household, heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels". Originally he was responsible for overseeing royal festivities, known as revels, and he later also became responsible for stage censorship, until this function was transferred to the Lord Chamberlain in 1624. However, Henry Herbert, the deputy Master of the Revels and later the Master, continued to perform the function on behalf of the Lord Chamberlain until the English Civil War in 1642, when stage plays were prohibited. The office continued almost until the end of the 18th century, although with rather reduced status.

And in the list of the official Masters of the Revels, we find this name in the timeline:


SIR EDMUND TILNEY
(1579–1610)

Over four hundred years later and I don't think it caused any kind of a Zonk if Lynley replaced Tilney in the Toobworld timeline.  However, there's not much of a challenge for Ye Olde Televisiologist with that splainin.

Master Lynley was probably an assistant to Sir Edmund Tilney.  However, when going about London's theatres in carrying out the duties of the office, he often would pass himself off as the Head Master of Revels.  And with the threat of a shut-down for their productions, what would be gained by challenging him?

Not that it mattered after that encounter with Lilith in 1599.....

Exeunt.
(Followed by a bear)


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