Original Georgian King’s Theatre, Richmond playbill dated 10 September 1821, advertising an elaborate production of The Heart of Mid-Lothian, adapted for the stage from Sir Walter Scott’s celebrated novel, and performed “By Desire and under the Patronage” of Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry.
A particularly impressive and highly decorative early 19th-century theatrical broadside, with enormous display typography for BUCCLEUCH, THE HEART OF MID-LOTHIAN, TOLBOOTH BY FIRE!, MUSCHAT’S CAIRN BY MOONLIGHT and OF AGE TO-MORROW.
The production is advertised:
“FOR THE LAST TIME THIS SEASON”
and as being withdrawn:
“in consequence of the Preparations for other Novelties.”
The patron named so prominently at the head of the playbill was Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, née Lady Elizabeth Montagu (1743–1827), wife of the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch. Elizabeth Scott died at Richmond in 1827.
The patronage is particularly relevant to a Richmond playbill because the Buccleuch family possessed Buccleuch House, Richmond. An 1825 drawing preserved by Orleans House Gallery specifically depicts the Duchess of Buccleuch’s house from across the Thames, while a later description places Buccleuch House on the riverside above Richmond Bridge.
The enormous BUCCLEUCH heading therefore represents the patronage of a Duchess with a direct Richmond residential connection.
Walter Scott’s The Heart of Mid-Lothian had been published on 25 July 1818, only a little over three years before this Richmond playbill.
The stage adaptation can be identified as Thomas Dibdin’s The Heart of Mid-Lothian; or, The Lily of St Leonard’s, a three-act melodramatic romance based on Walter Scott’s novel. It was first performed at the Surrey Theatre on 13 January 1819.
The present Richmond performance of September 1821 therefore documents the extraordinarily rapid transformation of Walter Scott’s recent literary success into popular visual theatre.
The playbill describes the production as an:
“admired DRAMATIC SPECTACLE”
presented with:
“characteristic DRESSES, New and appropriate SCENERY and DECORATIONS.”
The cast includes:
Charles Moritz Klanert’s part is particularly striking:
“George Robertson (Leader of the Rioters, disguised as Madge Wildfire) – Mr. KLANERT.”
Mrs Klanert separately plays Madge Wildfire, so the bill documents both the character herself and George Robertson appearing disguised as her.
One of the strongest features of this playbill is its remarkably detailed advertisement of the production’s visual spectacle:
THE OLD TOWN OF EDINBURGH
THE BRIDGE
DESTRUCTION OF THE TOLBOOTH BY FIRE!
INTERIOR OF MADGE WILDFIRE’S HOVEL
ST. LEONARD’S CRAIGS
DISTANT VIEW OF DAVID DEANS’ HOUSE
THE RUINS OF ST. ANTHONY’S CHAPEL
MUSCHAT’S CAIRN BY MOONLIGHT
and:
GOTHIC HALL IN HOLYROOD-PALACE
The Tolbooth is central to the historical setting underlying Walter Scott’s novel; the story is set in motion by the Porteous Riots.
Unusually, the playbill identifies the artists responsible for the scenery.
The Edinburgh, St Leonard’s, St Anthony’s and Muschat’s Cairn sequence is expressly credited:
“These Scenes painted by Mr. G. SIMPSON.”
while:
“GOTHIC HALL IN HOLYROOD-PALACE”
is:
“Painted by Mr. CAIN.”
Mr G. Simpson was also a member of the performing company, appearing as the 1st Officer in The Heart of Mid-Lothian and Tobias in the afterpiece.
This provides particularly attractive primary evidence for the practical scenic production of an early Georgian adaptation of Walter Scott.
Following The Heart of Mid-Lothian, the audience was offered:
A PAS SEUL by Miss Vine
“The Indian Maid” – Mr Whatford
“Caleb Quotem’s Wife & Family” – Mr Dodd
and a:
Comic Song – Mr Mathews
illustrating the mixed programme of drama, spectacle, dancing and song characteristic of the period.
The evening concluded with the musical farce:
OF AGE TO-MORROW
which the bill specifically notes had:
“not [been] acted here these 2 Years.”
Surviving theatrical records give a licence application for Of Age To-Morrow dated 28 January 1800, with a first performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 1 February 1800.
Surviving music associated with the farce includes material composed by Michael Kelly.
Sources differ over the work’s authorship, so no firm authorial attribution is made here.
Charles Moritz Klanert again appears, this time as Frederick Baron Willinghirst, while Mrs Klanert plays Maria.
The imprint at the foot reads:
“Norbury, Printer, Brentford.”
The Norbury family ran a longstanding printing and bookselling business in New Brentford, associated with Philip Norbury and his family. Local historical research records the concern at 110 High Street and identifies both Philip Norbury the elder and younger in connection with the printing trade.
There is a particularly well-established connection between Norbury and Richmond theatrical printing. The Victoria & Albert Museum holds a 1799 Theatre Royal, Richmond poster printed by “Norbury of Brentford”.
The present 1821 bill therefore provides another surviving example of that Richmond Theatre/Norbury printing association more than two decades later.
Related surviving Richmond material also expressly names P. Norbury, Printer, New-Brentford as a place from which theatre tickets could be obtained, demonstrating that the Norbury concern’s relationship with the theatre extended beyond an imprint alone.
A superb piece of Georgian theatrical and literary ephemera combining:
Condition as photos. Guaranteed Original. All items can be returned for a full refund if found to be not as described.
Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch (May 1743 – Nov 1827), formerly Lady Elizabeth Montagu, was the wife of Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch.
PROVENANCE
From the collection of a long established Richmond-upon-Thames resident, focusing on 17th to 19th century trade ephemera, theatre handbills and Acts of Parliament.
Items from the collection range across social, cultural, theatrical and commercial history, many having previously been part of a long-established private collection.
Complete with digital .jpg CoA - as photo - for you to print if needed
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