Richard Smith's recollections of attending the Theatre

Richard Smith was a Bristol surgeon and Theatre -lover. In the mid 1800s he created a scrapbook of the playbills and show information he’d been collecting since the late 1700s. It is thanks to Richard that we have a copy of our first ever playbill.

Richard also recorded his early memories of going to the Theatre Royal. He describes waiting with his back pressed against the street door and rushing to the Gallery when it opened, where "delighted I awaited in darkness the coming of the Stage man to light the candles!" He also complains that the tall hats and hair of women in the audience blocked people’s view.

This item was digitised by Bristol Archives as part of Bristol Old Vic’s “Protecting and Sharing the Heritage of Britain’s Oldest Theatre ” project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Find out more here: https://archives.bristol.gov.uk/records/45883/8