ABSTRACT
The King's Men's, in their unique position as favoured royal servants, as proprietors of a 'private' indoor house and of a public playhouse on Bankside, had to satisfy the theatrical tastes of the court and of well-to-do patrons at Blackfriars, in addition to their traditional eclectic mix of playgoers at the Globe. This resulted in a repertory more nuanced in its critique of contemporary politics than that of players at other public theatres, as Lowin and Taylor trod a fine line between maintaining relevance for playhouse audiences and risking their royal patron's displeasure. There is no record of any disagreement or duality of purpose between them, but rather an impression of consensus reinforced by the number of times they are mentioned as partners.
