Mayor of Queenborough, or Hengist, King of Kent

Part of the Nick Hern Books Globe Quartos series, co-published with Shakespeare's Globe, marking their rediscoveries of forgotten plays by Shakespeare's contemporaries. Thomas Middleton's only surviving historical play weaves together two powerful stories: the spectacular rise and fall of the bloody-minded King Vortiger, and the legend of Hengist and Horsa.Set in fifth century Britain struggling against the power of Rome, the play chronicles Vortiger's despotic career; his ruthless murders, the violent betrayal of his British wife, the brutal wars against his own subjects, and an opportunistic but ultimately catastrophic alliance with the newly-arrived Saxons.The play also provides a striking comic subplot, involving Simon the tanner – the eponymous Mayor of Queenborough.Thomas Middleton's play The Mayor of Queenborough was first staged c.1620.This edition, in the Nick Hern Books Globe Quartos series, is edited by Howard Marchitello.