Forbes Robertson - Postcards, 1909
Title
Forbes Robertson - Postcards, 1909
Date
15 March 1909
Description
Two promotional postcards of Forbes Robertson starring in The Passing of the Third Floor Back by Jerome K Jerome.
What's the story?
Johnston Forbes Robertson starred as The Stranger in The Passing of the Third Floor Back, which ran at the Theatre Royal from 15 to 20 March 1909.
The Passing of the Third Floor Back was written by Jerome K Jerome and first performed in 1908, with Forbes Robertson in the leading role of The Stranger.
Forbes Robertson was a renowned actor during the late Victorian and Edwardian period.
Playwright Bernard Shaw, in 1898, was so impressed with Forbes-Robertson that he wrote the part of Caesar in Caesar & Cleopatra for him, stating:
“Forbes-Robertson is the only actor I know who can find out the feeling of a speech from its cadence. His art meets the dramatist’s art directly, picking it up for completion and expression without explanations or imitations”
In 1900 Forbes-Robertson invited American actress Gertrude Elliott to join his company and later that same year they were married. Their professional careers often intertwined, as shown by this production of The Passing of the Third Floor Back, in which Elliott also starred. It was a play that Forbes-Robertson became closely associated with, even starring in the 1918 silent film version.
This postcard forms part of a large scrapbook collection donated to the Theatre Royal archive by Diane Meadwell from Sandiacre. Her great grandfather was Bernard Hill, the former landlord of The Sun Inn on Parliament Street and who later became the Stage Door Keeper at the Theatre Royal. Bernard’s daughter Edith also worked at the Theatre Royal as an usherette.
Whilst in his stage door job, Bernard collected a large number of postcards of the numerous artists who performed at the venue, many of which he got them to autograph, as well as writing the date and if necessary the show on the reverse, making the future archivist’s job that little bit easier. We have then been able to cross-reference this information with the list of Theatre Royal shows being compiled by volunteer researcher Lynn Whitley.
We are grateful to Diane for sharing her family memories with us and for donating such a valuable resource to the archive.
The Passing of the Third Floor Back was written by Jerome K Jerome and first performed in 1908, with Forbes Robertson in the leading role of The Stranger.
Forbes Robertson was a renowned actor during the late Victorian and Edwardian period.
Playwright Bernard Shaw, in 1898, was so impressed with Forbes-Robertson that he wrote the part of Caesar in Caesar & Cleopatra for him, stating:
“Forbes-Robertson is the only actor I know who can find out the feeling of a speech from its cadence. His art meets the dramatist’s art directly, picking it up for completion and expression without explanations or imitations”
In 1900 Forbes-Robertson invited American actress Gertrude Elliott to join his company and later that same year they were married. Their professional careers often intertwined, as shown by this production of The Passing of the Third Floor Back, in which Elliott also starred. It was a play that Forbes-Robertson became closely associated with, even starring in the 1918 silent film version.
This postcard forms part of a large scrapbook collection donated to the Theatre Royal archive by Diane Meadwell from Sandiacre. Her great grandfather was Bernard Hill, the former landlord of The Sun Inn on Parliament Street and who later became the Stage Door Keeper at the Theatre Royal. Bernard’s daughter Edith also worked at the Theatre Royal as an usherette.
Whilst in his stage door job, Bernard collected a large number of postcards of the numerous artists who performed at the venue, many of which he got them to autograph, as well as writing the date and if necessary the show on the reverse, making the future archivist’s job that little bit easier. We have then been able to cross-reference this information with the list of Theatre Royal shows being compiled by volunteer researcher Lynn Whitley.
We are grateful to Diane for sharing her family memories with us and for donating such a valuable resource to the archive.
Type
Postcards
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Researchers: David Longford / Lynn Whitley
