Billy Rough

Playbills or Posters?

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When researching nineteenth-century theatre, it can initially be difficult to distinguish between a playbill and a poster. In many respects, the two served similar purposes, functioning both as advertising materials and as programmes that provided details of performers and performances. The principal difference between the two formats was their size. Two examples from the ‘Mapping … Read more

William McFarland (1836-1898)

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In some minds there exists a prejudice against Music Hall performances. That this objection is unfortunately too well grounded we are ready to admit; but it has been the steady aim of Mr McFarland to remove this stigma from the profession.[1] His name is perhaps rather forgotten today, but for nearly thirty years William McFarland … Read more