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It is commonly believed to have been one of Shakespeare's earliest works. The play is thought to have been written in the early 1590s, although the first evidence of its existence is in Francis Meres's list of plays, published in 1598. It was not printed until 1623 when it appeared in the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays.
There is no record of a performance in Shakespeare's era, down to the closing of the theatres in 1642. The earliest known performance occurred at Drury Lane in 1762, with augmented parts for Launce and his dog. The straight Shakespearean text was performed at Covent Garden in 1784; Frederic Reynolds staged an operatic version in 1821.
The play has been produced sporadically, but with little success in the English-speaking world. It has proved more popular in Europe.