Silk and satin theatre playbills and programmes were produced from the 18th century onwards, to commemorate special evenings at the theatre. Most theatres in the 19th century would have had some made to mark grand openings or milestone performances. By the end of the First World War however the practice had generally died out, only being revived very occasionally, more often at London's opera houses than any other theatres.

This unusual miniature silk programme was produced to mark the opening of a short season at London's Adelphi Theatre starring the famous American tragedian Edwin Booth (1833-1893). He made his last appearance at the Adelphi as Don Caesar de Bazan at a matinee on 3rd August prior to a tour of the British Isles. One of ten children of the actor Junius Brutus Booth, Edwin Booth first appeared with his father's company in America and made his first appearances in England at the Haymarket Theatre in 1861, playing Shylock, Overreach and Cardinal Richelieu. He later ran the Winter Garden Theatre in New York until its destruction by fire, and opened his own theatre in New York in 1869. After he was declared bankrupt in the States, he appeared again in England between 1880 and 1882 when he alternated playing Othello and Iago with Henry Irving at the Lyceum Theatre, at Irving's invitation .