Ira Aldridge in 'Othello'
Poster
1833 (printed)
1833 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Playbill advertising Ira Aldridge in Shakespeare's play Othello and the musical farce The Padlock, Surrey Theatre, 22 April 1833.
Ira Aldridge (?1807-1867) was born in New York but made his career in Britain and Europe. His first London appearance as Othello was in 1825 at the Royalty Theatre in London's East End, when he was billed as 'Mr. Keene, a Gentleman of Colour, from the New York Theatre'. He played the part many times on tour, and in 1833 gave two performances at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, when the tragedian Edmund Kean was too ill to perform. He repeated the role at the Surrey Theatre in the following week.
The playbill for the Surrey calls Aldridge the African Roscius, comparing him to the celebrated Roman actor. To be regarded as a Roscius was high praise. The bill notes that 'The circumstance of a MAN of COLOUR performing OTHELLO, on the British Stage, is indeed an epoch in the history of Theatricals'.
Ira Aldridge (?1807-1867) was born in New York but made his career in Britain and Europe. His first London appearance as Othello was in 1825 at the Royalty Theatre in London's East End, when he was billed as 'Mr. Keene, a Gentleman of Colour, from the New York Theatre'. He played the part many times on tour, and in 1833 gave two performances at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, when the tragedian Edmund Kean was too ill to perform. He repeated the role at the Surrey Theatre in the following week.
The playbill for the Surrey calls Aldridge the African Roscius, comparing him to the celebrated Roman actor. To be regarded as a Roscius was high praise. The bill notes that 'The circumstance of a MAN of COLOUR performing OTHELLO, on the British Stage, is indeed an epoch in the history of Theatricals'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Ira Aldridge in 'Othello' (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Letterpress |
| Brief description | Playbill advertising Ira Aldridge in Shakespeare's play Othello and the musical farce The Padlock, Surrey Theatre, 22 April 1833. Letterpress |
| Physical description | Typographic poster with black lettering |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Gabrielle Enthoven Collection |
| Association | |
| Summary | Playbill advertising Ira Aldridge in Shakespeare's play Othello and the musical farce The Padlock, Surrey Theatre, 22 April 1833. Ira Aldridge (?1807-1867) was born in New York but made his career in Britain and Europe. His first London appearance as Othello was in 1825 at the Royalty Theatre in London's East End, when he was billed as 'Mr. Keene, a Gentleman of Colour, from the New York Theatre'. He played the part many times on tour, and in 1833 gave two performances at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, when the tragedian Edmund Kean was too ill to perform. He repeated the role at the Surrey Theatre in the following week. The playbill for the Surrey calls Aldridge the African Roscius, comparing him to the celebrated Roman actor. To be regarded as a Roscius was high praise. The bill notes that 'The circumstance of a MAN of COLOUR performing OTHELLO, on the British Stage, is indeed an epoch in the history of Theatricals'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.21-1994 |
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| Record created | January 14, 2019 |
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