THE THEATRE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16487, 28 February 1914, Page 8

THE THEATRE.

NEWS, NOTES AND COMMENT

THE PLAYBILL

(By CRITIOUS.)

There is nothing so fascinating, nothing that can conjure Up the past so ,vividly as an old playbill. Its bizarre colouring, and its carefully regulated variations in the size* of type seem to assist in the unlocking of tender reminiscences, and' almost every playgoer who. sees one can say with Elia: "The casual sight of an old playbill, which I picked up the other day, tempts me to call to mind a few of the players who make the principal figure in it.” In this, be it remornbered, Elia is referring not to tho gaudy exaggerations which rear themselves on hoardings, but to tho precerrors of tho present day pro* gramma. There are few people outside the ranks of the theatrical .profession who collect " bills,” as posters are familiarly called, but the collectors of programmes are legion. The hobby is full of interest und as an easy means of establishing a record of players it has few superiors. Some idea of the value of playbills can be gauged from the fact that the British Museum houses over 600,000 of them bound in 340 volumes—l7o volumes of London playbills, 167 volumes of provincial bills and three volumes of foreign.. Tho history of the British stage for nearly three centuries is contained in those bills, which supply a wondeitful record of players, groat and small, who havo "so strutted and bellowed ” on the Wards.

In tho first place the transformations of the playbill in size and shape which have occurred during the past two hundred and fifty years, have not resulted from caprice or fashion. They exhibited “ the form and pressure of the time ” and the evolution to the handy little booklet that is now used lias been gradual and logical.' The collection m the British Museum is large, but it is by no means complete and it has never been properly catalogued, while ono of .its most important imperfections is that it docs not include any bills prior to Garrick’s time, nor is the Garrick series 'complete. In Shakespeare’s day there wore no playbills, hut announcements were made bv means of placards, the predecessors of the modern " poster.” The term "poster” is familiar to all theatricals nowadays but it. is not generally known that it owed its origin to the practice then observed of affixing those announcements to tho ordinary ‘‘posts” of the road, and the licenses to print these interesting placards were granted by James _l. and by the Stationers Company. Tho earliest playbill known to be still in. existence is dated April 8, 1.663, and it is as follows: By ,His Majesty's Company of Coni eel lans. AT.THE. HEW THEATRE IN BKUEY LANE.

This Bay, being Thursday, April 8, 1663, Will be noted A' Comedy called THE HUMOROUS LIEUTENANT. The King . . . . ' . Mr Wiutcrsol Demetrius . . . . , Mr Hart Selevcrs Mr Burt Leontius . . . . . -Major Mohun Lieutenant . . . . , Mr Clun Cefice V . ... Mrs Marshall The Play will be given at Tbrce o’clock exactly. Boxes 4s. Pit 2s Gd. Middle Gallery Is 6d. Upper Gallery Is.

When Garrick first appeared tho playbill had taken the shape of a piece of paper ton inches long by six inches wide, and, as the theatres "were not well illuminated, all the printing was in capitals. It is interesting to look over-a bill of Garrick’s first appearance in Shakespeare’s . “ King Richard IK.” In those days the synopsis of the play was given and the sensational parts of the plot were given prominence just, as they are “ starred ” . to-day in melodramatic “shockers.” Judging.by the type used tho most important scenes in the play were "the landing of the Earl of Richmond ” .and d the death of King Richard in, the memorable Battle of Bcsw<frth Field.” , The tragedy was produced on this occasion at Goodman’s Fields, and Richard was played ".by a gentleman (who never appeared on any stage)”.- This unknown actor making his first appearance was Garrick who had not then decided between family pride and the stage. It is in this bill, dated October 19, 1766, that the distinctive “and” is used in the. cast of characters for the first time.- This form of adding prominence to .players soon became so general that all value In the word was lost, and it was then that some shrewd manager introduced graduated capital letters in order to show the degrees of importance enjo'yed' b\ l the members of his company. The scheme has lasted right clown to the vaudeville hills'of to-day. although Chetwood, an old manager of the eariv eighteenth century, said :—“ Latterly 1 have found it a difficult task to satisfy some ladies as well a.s gentlemen, because I could not find letters large enough to please* them; and some were so fond of elbow room that they would have shoved everybody out but themselves.” Right through the contury the bill retained its handy form, and newspapers, such as the "Public Ledger” and the “ London Chronicle ” started reprinting them, giving the cast and the name, of the plays to be . put, on the following evening. The practice proved a great benefit to the newspapers and it was not long before they wore paying a yearly subsidy to the playhouses for the privilege of publishing the playbills. Garrick received' ’£l6o from this source alone. The first important change in the playbill was made by John Kemble in 1803. He decided to return to the early form , and to regulate the order of the players by the importance of the role. With the beginning of the nineteenth century the bill grew longer and narrower, the paper became thinner and of a greenish-grey tint. > The introduction into productions of all maiiner of novelties led to these being mentioned on, the playbill, credit being given for the first (fime to Miss who " executed ” the new dresses. The rapturous extravagances in tho descriptions of the abilities of the players and the virtues of the play also appenred. These peculiarities survive in the playbill of to-day. These flourishes reached their highest development under the management, of Elliston, who utilised the playbill for personal attacks on his critics as well as managerial announcements: The Theatre overflows every night. The patentees cannot condescend to enter into a competition of scurrility which is only fitted for minor theatre; and gasconade can only ho supposed to bo caused by cnmiiiig or poverty. ... It is an absolute fact that at the moment there are more than threo thousand places taken of Mr Eodwoll, the box-keeper. . . . Miss Wilson continues her triumphant career, end the whole company havo produced nn effect and a demand for places unequalled in tho annala of the stage.

The playbill was then on silver or tissue paper and the printing was in lamp-black, which came off on to the patrons’ gloves. With the advent of the stalls this programme went out. It was too long for easy use, and a playbill on neat note-paper succeeded it. These bills wore issued in various colours and later a printer, named Anbert, supplied all theatres with a uniform, bill, which was highly scented. That tired and then a grey folding card wag used at the St James and Court Theatres, followed by 'a double-sheet containing advertisements. The hills increased to. Bath size and finally, the illustrated programme appeared, developing into the playbill that is used to-day.