Silk playbill produced for the 90th performance of The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, Royal Lyceum Theatre 19 December 1887.

Silk programme on white silk printed in black typography, and fringed along each edge with a cream silk fringe. Produced for the 90th performance of Shakespeare's TheWinter's Tale at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, 19 December 1887, preceded by Cool as a Cucumber. The programme is headed with the name 'ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE' 'Sole Lessee Mr Henry Irving'. The play titles are in larger typeface, with shadow lettering for The Winter's Tale.

Given by the Executors of the Estate of Margaret L. Rankin

The programme features the names of the composers Andrew Levey (also the Musical Director of the theatre), and J.M. Coward; the name of the choreographer A. Lauraine, the Property master F.C. Labhert, and the costume maker Auguste & Cie., who made costumes from designs by Forbes Robertson. The actors for The Winter's Tale are listed as Mr Forbes-Robertson, Miss Mabel Hoare, Mr. J. Maclean, Mr. George Warde, Mr. Arthur Lewis, Mr. F. Raphael, Mr. K. Black, Mr. H. Pagden, Mr. Lennox, Mr. Galliford, Mr. Davies Miss Mary Anderson, Mr. John Billington, Miss Helena Dacre, Miss Desmond, Miss Russell, Mr. F.H. Macklin, Mr. Fuller Mellish, Mr. W.H. Stephens, Mr. J. Anderson, Mr. Charles Collette, Mr. Glen Winn, Miss Zephie Tilbury., Miss Ayrton. The scenery is credited as by W. Telbin, Walter Hann, W. Perkins and Hawes Craven. Mr. Henry Sainsbury, Mr Glen Winn, Mr. Charles Collette, Miss Helena Dacre and Mr J. Chambers appeared in the curtain-raiser, the farce by Douglas Jerrold Cool as a Cucumber. The playbill also credits the name of the Stage Manager Mr. Napier Lothian Jnr., the Musical Director Mr. Andrew Levey, the Treasurer Mr. J. Chambers, and the Business Manager Mr. Charles Abud.

Silk and satin theatre playbills and programmes were produced from the 18th century onwards, to commemorate special evenings at the theatre. Most theatres in the19th century produced them to mark grand openings or milestone performances. By the end of the First World War however the practice generally died out, only being revived very occasionally, more often at London's opera houses than any other theatres.

This silk playbill was produced to mark the 90th performance of The Winter's Tale at The Royal Lyceum Theatre, near The Strand, starring Johnston Forbes-Robertson as Leontes and the beautiful American actress Mary Anderson as Hermione and Perdita. Henry Irving, who had been the lessee of the Lyceum Theatre since December 1878 and its greatest star, was on tour in America with Ellen Terry in the winter of 1887, but Forbes-Robertson had played many leading roles with Irving, and Mary Anderson had played Juliet at the Lyceum in 1884 when Irving and his leading lady Ellen Terry were away on another tour.

S.251-1987