How long does it take to learn a script when shakespeare was a live?

Answer 1

Henslowe's Diary, an account-book belonging to the impresario Philip Henslowe, shows that the companies playing at the Rose and Newington Butts Theatres (which Henslowe owned) brought out a new play every two weeks. It is not clear whether they were only working on one new play at a time, but if they were that would mean that they had two weeks to learn a new script, while at the same time giving performances practically every day of ten plays or so that they had in repertoire. An actor in Shakespeare's time may have had fifty plays or more performance ready at any given time.