Written records of the revels do not seem to have been kept, or else have been subsequently lost, however some accounts remain. In general the revels were regarded as a period of extravagant entertainment and wild partying, though the events generally followed a set traditional sequence. Members of the inn who refused to become involved in the events were fined as a punishment. The nature of the revels often varied depending on the rank of the member. The young students were noted to have taken part in energetic and intimate dances with women, such as the
galliard, and exuberant singing whilst the more senior
benchers had more formal, traditional dances and sang
psalms. The performances were usually put on by professional companies, who regarded the revels as a good opportunity to perform before an audience of distinguished personages. In some cases the members of the inns were involved with the production of the plays, often taking on acting parts. There was also some involvement in playwriting:
Arthur Brooke was a member of the Inner Temple and wrote a
masque (a short performance including music, acting and dancing),
Beauty and Desire for the 1561–1562 revels and
The Supposes was produced by Gray's Inn for 1566. It is thought that professional playwrights of this era wrote plays specifically with the revels' audience in mind and may have featured legal scenes in the hope of them being selected for a performance. The close relationship between the companies and the inns is alluded to in
Ben Jonson's
Every Man out of His Humour, 1599: "the noblest nourceries [nurseries] of humanity, and liberty, in the kingdome: The Inns of Court". In
Henry IV, Part 2 (c. 1596-99) Shakespeare has a
justice of the peace,
Robert Shallow, recall his time at the revels where, together with his friends, "you had not four such swinge bucklers in the Inns of Court again; and again I say to you we knew where the bon robas [prostitutes] were and had the best of them at commandment". Shallow claims to have been nicknamed "Mad Shallow" for his behaviour at the revels, but his colleague, Justice Silence, recalls that he was actually known as "Lusty Shallow". The play formed part of a sequence of events focused on the
Twelve Days of Christmas, though the revels themselves lasted until
Shrove Tuesday (7 February 1595) with a performance of the
Masque of Proteus before the queen. It is thought that the
Lord Chamberlain's Men performed the play on this occasion. The event concluded early the next morning and was subsequently referred to as the "night of errors". On the following night of the revels a mock trial was held of a "sorceror" accused of causing the failure of the event. Shakespeare's
Twelfth Night was performed by the
Queen's Men at the Middle Temple revels on 2 February 1602, at a time when one of his cousins was a student there.
Troilus and Cressida (c. 1602) also appears to have been written for a performance at the inns. == Decline, abandonment and modern revival ==