The Old Vic Company North American tour program

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

Preferred citation:

The Old Vic Company North American tour program, C0545, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Summary

Extent:
.01 Linear Feet 1 folder
Creator:
Old Vic Company
Abstract:
The Old Vic Company program for the 1958-1959 North American tour featuring productions of three plays by William Shakespeare: Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Henry V.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

The Old Vic Company North American tour program, C0545, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Background

Scope and content:

The Old Vic Company program for the 1958-1959 North American tour featuring productions of three plays by William Shakespeare: Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Henry V. This is a full season program that contains full production credits for each show title, including cast and crew bios, notes from the director, and selected favorite scenes from the play with text from the script. The program also includes general historical information on the Old Vic and features credits for Judi Dench in one of her first professional seasons as a stage actress.

Biographical / historical:

The Old Vic Theatre Company was founded in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre and was originally known for producing primarily popular melodramas. The theatre was renamed the Royal Victoria following a remodel in 1833 and become known popularly as "the Old Vic." In 1880 it came under the management of Emma Cons (1838-1912), a well-known social reformer, and the theatre transformed into the Royal Victoria Hall and Coffee Tavern, focusing on temperance amusements such as music concerts and scenes from Shakespeare and operas. In 1912, Cons' niece Lilian Baylis (1874-1937) took over management of the theatre and in 1914 introduced the company's first regular Shakespeare season. By 1918 the Old Vic was established as London's only permanent Shakespearean theatre and by 1923 had performed productions of all of Shakespeare's plays.

The Old Vic continued to grow throughout the 1920s and 1930s, but the physical building was damaged during German airs raids in 1940 causing the company to be temporarily relocated. Following World War II, the theatre building reopened in November 1950 and was granted Grade II listed building status in 1951. When Laurence Olivier was appointed as first director of the National Theatre in 1962, which had been established in 1946, the governors of the Old Vic offered their building as its temporary home and in 1963 the Old Vic company was disbanded.

Acquisition information:
Donor is unknown.
Processing information:

Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in January 2026. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in February 2026.

Arrangement:

This is a single item collection.

Physical location:
R 73, C 2, S 4
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard