Salomon Pavey - Prince of Players

London. Elizabeth Tudor is on the throne of a prosperous, yet religiously insecure, England. At the same time, a popular demand for plays, for music and for spectacular entertainments has spread throughout her realm. Nowhere is this more so than at the Royal Court itself. Thus, the world of the Private Theatre is born.

Groups, such as the "Pigeons" of St. Paul's Singing School and the Children of The Chapel Royal, have become the favourites of an aging “Queen Bess”. Here, inside the walls of the city, their entertainments can take place in dry, comfortable, candle-lit surroundings. As a result, the children are beginning to ruffle the feathers of the adult companies, the so-called “common players”. They, on the other hand, are permitted to operate only outside the city walls, during daylight hours and in all weathers! In fact, it was no less a common player than William Shakespeare himself who wrote of the children, “… there is, sir, an eyrie of children, little eyases, that cry out on the top of question and are most tyrannically clapped for’t…” (Hamlet: II.ii.337ff).

This book tells the story of many of these children. Notably, it traces the fate and the fortunes of one of them, Salomon Pavey, who becomes an outstanding young actor at The Chapel Royal - ironically, with a flair for playing the characters of old men. Unwittingly, however, he also becomes enmeshed in the politics of the Court and by the intrigues of his choirmasters – with tragic results; a victim, not only of his enemies, but also of his own success. Salomon was a real person, as were many of the characters in this story.

The storyline itself does not necessarily match up with the chronological reality of the era. It is, after all - and above all - a fiction; but it is liberally suffused with facts. Set during the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st, the Chapel Children are nearing the end of a remarkable twenty-five years in their history.


David Drew-Smythe was born in England in 1950. He was educated at Clifton College and at St. Luke’s College, Exeter and has worked as a teacher in England, Denmark and in Australia, where he has lived since 1988. His great-aunt was the author, Jan Struther (Joyce Anstruther) who wrote the timeless classic, “Mrs. Miniver”.

Over the years, David has developed a career as a specialist drama teacher, stage director and freelance writer. His works include film drafts, articles, short stories, poetry and a short e-book with the intriguing title, “The Private e-mails of William Shakespeare”, published in 2007 by The Fiction Works. This is available on-line through Barnes & Noble’s Fictionwise site.

This is his first major novel, inspired by the award-winning musical stage play, “The Ballad of Salomon Pavey” which David co-wrote with Jeremy James Taylor, in 1975/6. Originally published in 1979 by Oxford University Press (Music Department), the play was re-published by Josef Weinberger Ltd. (London) in 1989. One of David’s abiding memories is of watching this play being performed in London at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, directed by Jeremy James Taylor in 1999. Jeremy was awarded a well-deserved O.B.E in 2010 ‘in recognition of services to Young People and Musical Theatre’ which he has "every hope and intention of continuing for many years to come!".

But, for now, Salomon Pavey is just ten years old - and he is late for school…