Poster advertising Jack Sheppard, HB and Knight of the Dragon and the Queen of Beautyat the Theatre Royal, Adelphi, 9 December 1839. Woodcut and letterpress, printed by S.G. Fairbrother

Typographic illustrated poster headed: THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI, describing Jack Sheppard as an entirely new and historical drama in four parts, adapted from the popular romance of the same name by J.B. Buckstone Esq. The principal characters to be played by: Mr Yates, Mr Lyon, Mr H. Beverley, Mr Paul Bedford, Mr Wright and Mrs Keeley. Following this there are then twelve illustrations of scenes from the melodrama. The poster states that after Jack Sheppard there will be produced a dramatic caricature in one act called HB. The cast list is as follows;
Mr Yates as Henry Belasquez Esq, Humphrey Bobus as Mr Wilkinson, Mr Wright as Leamington Spooner, Mr Paul Bedford as Captain Funnel, Master Collins as Tommy Stoker, Mr Sanders as Hayband, Mr King as Hock, Mrs Gower as Mrs Lambchick, Mrs Fosbroke as Mrs Funnel, Miss Cathie as Miss Theodosia Titterton and Mrs Keeley as Betty Nangle.

At the bottom of the poster it then says: to conclude with (taken from W.H. Ainsworth esq. a popular historical romance entitled ‘The Admirable Crichton’) a Grand Chivalrie Drama, adapted by Mr E. Shirling called The Knight of the Dragon and the Queen of Beauty! The cast list is as follows: Mr J. F. Saville as Henri de Valois, Mr Maynard as Vincenzo de Gonzaga, Mr E. H. Butler as Vicomte de Joyeuse, Mr Wright as Chicot, Mr Sanders as Abbe de Brantome, Mr King as Rene de Villequier, Mr Wilson as Du Halde, Mr Harvey as Francois, d’Epinay de St. Luc, Mr Freeborn as Captaine Larchant, Mr Holmes as Messeigneur Adrian Ambroise, Mr Knowles as Andreini, Mr Lyon as James Chrichton, Mr Cullenford as Cosmo Ruggieri, Mr Montgomery as Knight of the Crane, Mr Windsor as Knight of the Spur, Mr Thompson as Knight of the Forest, Mr Brown as Knight of the Lions Paw, Mr Thomas as Knight of the Lion, Mr Greene as Knight of the Stage, Mrs Fosbroke as Queen Catherine de Medicis, Miss Caroline Darling as Queen Marguerite de Valois, Miss M. Lee as Esclairmonde and Miss E. Honner as Genevra.

Gabrielle Enthoven Collection

Harrison Ainsworth's murder novel Jack Sheppard was the sensation of the day when it was first published in instalments in Bentley's Miscellany in 1839, and hacks at half a dozen theatres eagerly dramatised it even before the instalments were finished. The version at London's Adelphi theatre was by John Baldwin Buckstone who began writing plays in 1826 and wrote several rollicking melodramas for the Adelphi. His script for Jack Sheppard had the audience in tears nightly as Jack Sheppard lay sobbing on his mother's grave: 'They tell me she forgave me before she died - bless her! Oh, villain, outcast, condemned fellon that I am!'

With crowd-pleasers such as this, early Victorian theatre managers knew that more expensive pictorial posters such as this reaped dividends.A series of images such as this never failed to fascinate and attract patrons, including the many illiterate but avid theatre-goers who would have enjoyed not only Jack Shepard but the 'dramatic caricature' and the richly-costumed historical romance that rounded off the evening.

S.2710-2010