Productions from 1838 to 1914

This slideshow covers productions from the Victorian and Edwardian periods, concentrating on the more elaborately "historicist" staging of Shakespeare by such prominent professionals as Irving, Tree, Benson, and Poel.

This slideshow contains 116 slides. Click any slide to begin.
Antony and Cleopatra, Drury Lane Theatre, 1873
Antony and Cleopatra, 1879
Antony and Cleopatra, His Majesty's Theatre, 1906
Antony and Cleopatra, His Majesty's Theatre, 1906
All's Well That Ends Well, 19th Century
As You Like It, 19th Century
As You Like It, His Majesty's Theatre, 1911
As You Like It, His Majesty's Theatre, 1911
The Comedy of Errors: The Two Dromios
Coriolanus: Ellen Terry (1847-1928) as Volumnia
Cymbeline, Edwin Booth as Posthumus, 19th Century
Cymbeline, Thomas Mead as Iachimo, 19th Century
Cymbeline, Julia Marlowe as Imogen, 1894
Hamlet, Charles Albert Fechter as Hamlet, 19th Century
Hamlet, Henry Irving as Hamlet, 19th Century
Hamlet, Nunnery Scene, 19th Century
Hamlet, Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Hamlet, 19th Century
Hamlet, William Poel Company, 1881
Hamlet, Sir John Forbes-Robertson as Hamlet, 1897
Hamlet, Lyric Theatre, Circa 1905
Hamlet, Mrs. Patrick Campbell as Ophelia, 1897
King Henry IV, Part 1, William Charles Macready as King Henry IV, 19th Century
King Henry IV, Part 1, James Henry Hackett as Falstaff, 19th Century
King Henry IV, Part 1, 19th Century
King Henry IV, Part 1, A.E. George as King Henry IV, 19th Century
Henry IV, Part 2, Constance Benson as Doll Tearsheet, 19th Century
Henry V, William Davidge as Pistol, 19th Century
Henry V, Frank Benson as Henry V, 1900
Henry V, E. M. Robson as Fluellen, 1900
Henry V
Henry V, John H. Barnes as Williams, 19th Century
Henry VI, Part 3, Charles Pitt as Richard of Gloucester, 1860
Henry VIII, Laura Carlisle as Anne Bullen, 1912
Henry VIII, Violet Vanburgh as Queen Katherine of Aragon, 1910
Henry VIII, Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Cardinal Wolsey, 20th Century
Henry VIII, Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Cardinal Wolsey, 20th Century
Julius Caesar, the Booth Brothers, 1864
Julius Caesar, Lawrence Barrett as Cassius, 1870
Julius Caesar, Otho Stuart as Brutus, 20th Century
Julius Caesar, Henry Ainley as Antony, 20th Century
Julius Caesar, Henry Ainley as Cassius, 20th Century
Julius Caesar, 1910
Julius Caesar, Otho Stuart as Brutus, 20th Century
Love's Labour's Lost, 19th Century
King John, Drury Lane Theatre, 1865
King John, Henry Betty as Faulconbridge, 19th Century
King Lear, Edwin Forrest as Lear, 19th Century
King Lear, Edwin Booth as King Lear, 19th Century
King Lear, George Edgar as King Lear, 1879
King Lear, Pavilion Theatre, 1906
Macbeth, Mrs. David P. Bowers as Lady Macbeth, 19th Century
Macbeth, Thos. W. Keene as Macbeth, 1884 (Poster)
Macbeth, Adelaide Ristori as Lady Macbeth, 19th Century
Macbeth, Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth, 1889
Macbeth, Forbes Robertson as Macbeth, 1898
Macbeth, Mrs. Patrick Campbell as Lady Macbeth, 1898
Macbeth, Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Macbeth, 20th Century
Macbeth, 20th Century
Macbeth, Lily Langtree as Lady Macbeth, 19th Century
Measure For Measure, William Poel Production, 1893
William Poel (1852-1934): An Influential Edwardian Producer of Shakespeare
Measure for Measure, Lily Brayton as Isabella, 1907
Merchant of Venice, 19th Century
Merchant of Venice, Alexandra Carlisle as Portia (as the Lawyer Balthazar), 1908
Merchant of Venice, James Carew as Shylock, 20th Century
The Merry Wives of Windsor, 19th Century
The Merry Wives of Windsor, Haymarket Theatre, 1890
The Merry Wives of Windsor, Giuseppe Verdi's "Falstaff", 1893
Merry Wives of Windsor, 20th Century
A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania by Joseph Noel Paton, 1849
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Set Design for Palace of Theseus, Finale, Princess Theatre, London, 1856
Much Ado About Nothing, Princess' Theatre, 1859
Much Ado About Nothing, Ellen Terry as Beatrice, 19th Century
Much Ado About Nothing, Ellen Terry and Henry Irving as Beatrice and Benedick, 1870
Much Ado About Nothing, Benson's Shakespeare Festival, 20th Century
Much Ado About Nothing, Beerbohm Tree as Benedick, 19th-20th Century
Othello, M'Kean Buchanan as Othello, 1870
Othello, Tommaso Salvini as Othello, 19th Century
Othello, John Edward McCullough as Othello, 19th Century
Othello, Constantin Stanislavski as Othello, 1896
Othello, Harcourt Williams as Othello, 20th Century
Othello, His Majesty's Theatre, 1912
Othello, Oscar Asche as Othello, 20th Century
Othello, Lily Brayton as Desdemona, 20th Century
Othello, His Majesty's Theatre, 1907
Othello, Queen's Theatre, 20th Century
Othello, William Stack as Othello, 1922
Richard II, His Majesty's Theatre, 1903
Richard III, Charles Kean as Richard of Gloucester, 19th Century
Richard III, Richard Mansfield as King Richard III, 1889
Richard III, Clara Fisher as Richard III, 1818
Romeo and Juliet: Fanny Kemble as Juliet
Romeo and Juliet, Sketch for the Set in Act III, 1867
Romeo and Juliet, William Terriss as Romeo, 19th Century
Romeo and Juliet, 19th Century
Romeo and Juliet, Frank Benson as Romeo, 1888
Romeo and Juliet, Eric Mayne as Mercutio, 20th Century
Romeo and Juliet, Nora Kerin as Juliet, 1909
The Taming of the Shrew, Miss Kirkpatrick as Katharina, 1850
The Taming of the Shrew, John Drew as Petruchio, 1893
The Taming of the Shrew, Ada Rehan as Katherina, 1893
The Taming of the Shrew, Mary Anderson as Katherina, 19th Century
The Taming of the Shrew, Lily Brayton as Katherina, 1904
The Tempest, 19th Century
The Tempest, Robert Atkins as Caliban, 20th Century
Twelfth Night, Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Malvolio, 20th Century
Twelfth Night, Ellen Terry as Viola, 19th Century
Two Gentlemen of Verona, Constance Benson as Julia, 19th Century
The Winter's Tale, Charles Kean Company, 1856
The Winter's Tale, Ellen Terry as Hermione, 19th Century
The Winter's Tale, Mary Anderson as Perdita, 19th Century
The Winter's Tale, Mary Anderson as Hermione, 19th Century
The Winter's Tale, Charles Kean Company, 1856
As You Like It: The wrestling scene (I.2) at the Drury Lane Theatre, London
The Taming of the Shrew, Augustin Daly's Theatre, 1893
Shakespeare's Memorial Theatre
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