be fully or finally ascertained. (Our English version of the play has no character named Vespasian, and this could have been a play about the father-and-son Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus. However, a German version of Titus Andronicus made in Shakespeare's time included a major character named Vespasian, which could indicate a lost earlier version which was taken into Germany.) Decline In the spring of 1594, the plague abated and the London theatres opened for a sustained period. Sussex's Men teamed with Queen Elizabeth's Men for two joint performances of Robert Greene's Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay in early April; but after that, Sussex's Men disappeared from the London theatre scene. Perhaps they were squeezed out by more formidable competition from the re-organized Admiral's Men and Lord Chamberlain's Men. They returned to touring and playing the provinces, where they are known as late as 1618. References English early modern theatre companies