Playbill — The Seven Ages; in Five Acts, Bridgnorth, 1831
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1831
Playbill in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number S.3106-2013), made in Bridgnorth, dated 1831, attributed to Gitton, George Robert. The museum's brief description reads: Playbill advertising the boy performers 'the young Roscius' W.
R. Grossmith and his brother Master B. Grossmith at the New Theatre Bridgnorth, 9 December 1831, in their entertainment The Seven Ages, followed by the song The Rose of Lucerne, a scene from The Merchant of Venice, scenes from…. Museum description: Printed letterpress playbill illustrated with woodcut images of scenes and characters performed by Masters R. W. and B. Grossmith in The Seven Ages,part one of their entertainment at the New Theatre Bridgnorth, 9 December 1831, and in part two.
The images relating to The Seven Ages depict the infant, the school boy, the lover, a soldier, a Justice, a 'lean and slippered pantaloon' and a man who has passed away, showing the relationship of the evening's performance to Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man. The playbill lists the scenes in part two comprising the song Rose of Lucerne sung by Master B. Grossmith, scenes from The Merchant of Venice, Douglas and the tent scene in Richard lll by both brothers, and in part lll both brothers performing the song Mister Tompkins and Polly Hopkins,and a 'Fancy Dance' by Master B.
Grossmith as a young lady. Other images depict their characters in Douglas,The Rose of Lucerne or the Swiss Maid,Shylock, Richard lll, and the eighteen characters that Master… The museum records it as letterpress and woodcut on paper, measuring Height 51.1 cm; Width 24.8 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Child actors or 'child prodigies' were all the rage in the early 19th century when 'infant phenomena' appeared all over the country following the most notorious 'Young Roscius' of them all, Master Betty, or William Henry West Betty (1791-1874) who made his first stage appearance aged eleven at Belfast in 1803. The soubriquet 'Young Roscius' was a reference to the celebrated Roman actor Quintus Roscius Gallus (126-62BC). The two performers who starred in this evening's entertainment at the New Theatre Bridgnorth were 'the celebrated Young Roscius' Master William Robert Grossmith and his younger brother Master B. Grossmith. William was born in Reading in 1818, the son of a picture framer, and had made his debut in 1824, aged six, at London's Royal Coburg Theatre. This evening's entertainment in 1831 was part of a tour that included Stafford on 12th December, Lichfield on 14th December, Birmingham on the 19th December, and was clearly intended to prolong the appeal of the elder William Robert by including his five-year old brother in the act. This playbill features a number of detailed woodcuts illustrating the many roles that each of the boys performed that evening. The extra expense of producing such a playbill indicates the theatre management's confidence that the evening would warrant such lavishly illustrated publicity, and be a success. Tickets for the evening could be purchased from Gitton the Printer, who was also the proprietor of the Stamp and Post Office, and from…
Physical characteristics
- Material
- paper, ink
- Dimensions
- Height 51.1 cm; Width 24.8 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- letterpress and woodcut on paper
- Maker recorded
- Gitton, George Robert
- Place recorded
- Bridgnorth
Identification
- Museum object name
- Playbill
- Museum object number
- S.3106-2013
- Museum system number
- O1278361
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.