4.5 Nathaniel Field (1587–1620).

As a child actor Field probably played women's roles before maturing to fit male parts. In 1616, he joined Shakespeare's company, the King's Men, and probably played many Shakespearean roles, including female parts. Awareness of Elizabethan conventions such as boys in women's parts is now general, although many directors are loathe to implement this historical convention as it deprives modern female actors of choice parts.