Georgette Ephemera #2 🎭

Theatre Royal page in our journal.

THEATRE in the 18th century became increasingly popular and actor managers such as David Garrick (1717-1779) were influential in a move towards higher production values and a greater realism in style and performance. Venues around Covent Gardens and Drury Lane held royal patents, which allowed them to put on a range of productions.

Theatre-going in the Georgian Period was a very different experience from that of today. Audiences could be loud, rowdy and rude, they talked throughout the performance and sometimes pelted actors with rotten fruit and vegetables. They also consumed a great deal of food and alcohol. Kicking boards were placed around the front of the gallery and members of the audience would kick these vigorously to show approval or disapproval at plays and individual performances. Members of the upper classes would be seated in boxes alongside the stage, for which they paid extra. The cheapest tickets were in the gallery, which would be very crowded

Improvements in printing presses in the 1700s meant that playbills (small printed sheets used to advertise a performance) could be produced quickly and cheaply.

All Things Georgian

Theatre in Georgian England

Swap: Send a short letter to your partner in your character's voice describing their night out to the Theatre Royal. Include 1 or 2 pieces of faux theater ephemera to immerse your partner into your character's special life.

For example, you could create/ design / draw your own Georgian era theater tickets, pit tokens, playbills, music sheets, paper doll of actor or actress, newspaper clipping, a silhouette card of a famous actress - the possibilities are limitless.

Not feeling crafty. No problem.

Print a picture of the jewelry that you wore or your outfit, the costumes you saw. Include ‘a piece of lace from your frock, a feather from your hat’ or other items from a performer's costume such as Sarah Siddons. Be imaginative & think outside the box.

You decide the type of ephemera – the emphasis is on Theatre Royal aesthetic!

Here are some ideas to inspire you. Keep it small & light so this swap should be normal letter rate postage for your country.

• Faux tickets

• paper clips jumped to 1:11 to see the finished items

• Tag /pocket

• Clusters

• Collage strip

1747 - David Garrick & Hannah Pritchard performing a scene from the play 'The Suspicious Husband"

Future ephemera rounds to come:

• faux ball ephemera

• pockets/flips/hidden tucks

• faux vintage stickers

• faux washi tape

• faux wax seals

• faux glassine ephemera

Here are some period-inspired journals to peek at for inspiration as we build ours up!

• video1

• video2

• video3

• video4

Anna, Jane, Nickalli and Toni x