The Wise Woman of Hoxton

Though he is now largely known only to scholars of Renaissance drama, Shakespeares contemporary Thomas Heywood was one of the most prolific dramatists of the period, claiming to have a hand in over 200 plays. Heywoods city comedy The Wise Woman of Hoxton (c. 1604) is one of his most delightful examinations of the social geography of life in London in the first decade of the 1600s. It features many elements recognizable from the drama of the period: an ensemble cast of scene-stealing comedic characters of all ages and genders, a clever cross-dressing heroine, and energetic dramaturgy that ensures a happy ending.