School for Scandal, The Preservation Framing of a 1797 Playbill

The Project

This original playbill for the May 29, 1797 performance of “School of Scandal” at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London is the prized heirloom of a client who reached out to Artifact about preservation and framing for her unique piece.  As fans of history and of the theater, the family cherished this playbill for over two generations.  The playbill arrived at our studio in need of care and attention in order to address its’ condition related to inadequate housing.  As well as to achieve the goal of updating the visual appeal of the display which would carry on the interesting story surrounding the object itself. 

The History 

The theater was a prominent part of the culture and social life of Britain in the late 18th century. Playbills outlined the evening’s entertainment, which usually started with a two-to-three-hour main performance followed by a shorter, often comedic piece. Playbills, just like our example, were used to advertise the day’s theater schedule in some of the leading playhouses of the time such as Drury Lane and Covent Garden.  Both playhouses were awarded the title, “Theatre Royal,” after being bestowed a royal license. They staged a variety of comedies, tragedies, and musical performances including “School for Scandal” which opened to great acclaim on May 8, 1777.

This playbill headed “Mrs. Jordan’s Night,” refers to the three distinct performances by Dorothea Jordan (November 21, 1761 – July 5, 1816) taking place that evening.  She would play Mrs. Teazle in “School for Scandal” (for that Night only), followed by an introduction of “In the dead of the Night,” written by R. Cumberland, Esq., and finally performing as Nell in the musical entertainment, “Devil to Pay.”  It was a common practice of the time to bill female actors as “Miss” or “Mrs.” omitting their first names.  Dorothea, or Dora, Jordan rose from poverty in Ireland to become one of the greatest and most beloved comedy actresses of her time.  The star of the Theatre Royal caught the attention of Prince William, Duke of Clarence (who would become King William IV), with whom she would spend 20 years together.  Dora gave birth to 10 children with the Duke of Clarence all while maintaining an extraordinary pace of performances throughout the theater circuit.  In the end, however, Dora was betrayed by the Royal Family.

Historical Preservation

What was once a small tangible memento from an evening of theater entertainment is now a 225-year-old historic artifact.  The new archival frame design has preserved this piece of history while allowing it to be on view.  At Artifact, every project is about retaining moments of the past to carry them into the future. Do you have a piece that you would like to preserve?  

To learn more, contact us at [email protected]