The Company’s Leading Actor
Richard Burbage was the principal actor of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. His importance grew alongside the company, and he became one of Renaissance England’s most famous performers.
Burbage played Hamlet and Othello, then continued into the Jacobean era as King Lear and Macbeth. These roles demanded radically different performances: a grieving prince, a jealous general, an aging monarch, and a warrior consumed by ambition.
A Family Enterprise
His prominence was rooted in the Burbage family. His father, James Burbage, assembled and directed the company until his death in 1597. Richard’s brother Cuthbert was also a member, though he did not act. The family’s involvement connected the troupe to the construction and management of its playhouses, including the Globe.
Actor and Playwright
Shakespeare’s words are often studied on the page, but Burbage helped establish how those words sounded and moved in performance. His interpretations gave the company’s most demanding roles a human presence for live audiences.
Burbage eventually achieved fame and wealth surpassed only by Edward Alleyn among contemporary actors. His career demonstrates that Shakespearean theatre was a partnership: the playwright supplied the language, but the actor made the emotional crisis visible.