Theatre Playbills.- [Collection of c.270 theatre playbills for the Theatre Royal, Haymarket], a few loose, occasional paper flaws and trimming to edges impacting text, occasional light offsetting, browning, and surface soiling, some fraying, chipping, and tearing affecting or with loss to text, contemporary cloth-backed boards, paper label with manuscript title to upper cover, rather worn, folio, 1853-54

⁂ Playbills for the Theatre Royal, Haymarket under the management of John Baldwin Buckstone, who had introduced the idea of a matinee performance later in 1873. This collection of playbills include performances of popular actors, such as George Vanderhoff, and Charlotte Cushman, who appeared in several performances, including a reprisal of her celebrated role Meg Merrilies in 'Guy Mannering'. Cushman, an openly queer woman, was an incredibly popular actress known for her performances as male characters. Included in this collection is a multitude of successful performances, including the 'Wonderful performances of the Chinese Magicians one of whom will not stick at impaling his friend with huge knives', as part of the 'Grand Oriental Spectacle' which ran for several weeks.