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| 1814 |
Edmund Kean makes his London debut
at the Drury Lane Theatre as Shylock in Shakespeare’s The
Merchant of Venice. Kean was to become one of the leading actors of his time.
He excelled in several important Shakespearian roles, including Richard
III, Othello, Hamlet, and Lear.
Edmund Kean as Hamlet. The
Life of E.K., 2 Volumes, 1835. British Library, 10825.bb.1, v. 1, p. 97. Larger
image
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| 1844-1862 |
| The actor Samuel
Phelps presents seasons of serious drama, notably
Shakespeare, at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre.
He gives plays by Shakespeare not seen since
the dramatist’s own time, for example Pericles.
He also restores (as far as possible) the early
Shakespearean texts, for example Richard III. |
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| 1850-1859 |
| Charles Kean,
the son of Edmund Kean and also an actor, presents
Shakespeare’s history plays in spectacular
productions intended to recreate medieval and
Tudor England. He also presents The Merchant
of Venice set in Renaissance Italy, and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream set in classical Greece. |
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| 1853-1865 |
| Publication
of a 16-volume folio edition of Shakespeare’s
plays by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps. This
limited edition is extensively illustrated. |
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| 1861-1871 |
| Facsimiles of the early quarto
editions of Shakespeare’s plays, produced
by lithography, published by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps
and Edmund William Ashbee. |
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| 1864 |
| Tercentenary of Shakespeare’s birth celebrated
at Stratford-upon-Avon, with a variety of entertainments inspired by
Garrick’s Shakespeare Jubilee of 1769. There are also celebrations
in London. |
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| 1864-1866 |
| Facsimile of the First Folio, produced by photolithography,
published ‘under the superintendance’ of Howard Staunton.
The facsimile is issued in 16 monthly parts, which are gathered to
form a single volume. |
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| 1874 |
| Henry Irving plays the title-role in Hamlet in
London for the first time. The production at
the Lyceum Theatre is a triumph and runs for 200 performances. |
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| 1878-1902 |
Henry Irving manages the Lyceum Theatre, where
he presents Shakespeare in lavish productions with designs influenced
by leading painters. His productions are large in scale, with many
supernumeraries for crowd scenes, trying to recreate the historical
contexts of Shakespeare ’s original plays.
'Macbeth and Macduff', by A. Fredericks, reflecting the historical style of productions by Irving and others. Austin Brereton, Shakespearean
Scenes and Characters, 1886. British Library, 11765.i.3, plate opposite p. 55. Larger
image
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| 1879 |
| Opening of the first Shakespeare Memorial Theatre
at Stratford-upon-Avon, with a production of Much Ado About Nothing. |
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| 1888-1890 |
| The Henry Irving Shakespeare published in 8 volumes.
The set of volumes has many illustrations by the painter Gordon Browne,
which suggest the style of Irving’s productions. |
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| 1895-1905 |
| The actor-manager William Poel tries to recreate
the stage conditions of Shakespeare’s times in productions for
the Elizabethan Stage Society. The plays include Hamlet, performed
in 1900 with an all-male cast. |
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