Performance at the Royal Courts of Scotland (Origins to 1650)

My wider project involves a study of performance associated with the Royal Courts of Scotland before 1650, including drama, mask, dance, music, ceremonial and Para-dramatic games and shows. Identifying and drawing together the scattered evidence for this activity will lead to a fuller understanding of performance as a vehicle of cultural expression in the early Scottish court. This will throw light not only on early theatrical performance itself, but on its use in the political and social functions of the Scottish court. Performance played a significant role in the relationship of monarch, court and country, and in both national and international political and courtly culture. The aim of this funded leave period was threefold: to chart the archival sources of records of performance; to identify and transcribe as many as possible of the records in one especially rich source, the Treasurer's Accounts, (beginning in 1473); and to write a number of interpretative articles and conference papers exploring the findings. Good progress has been made in all these areas. The conference papers and resulting published articles contribute to our fuller understanding of a variety of performance events, and the bibliography and transcription should form the basis of a more comprehensive project on the area which is now planned.