Silk and satin theatre playbills and programmes were produced from the 18th century onwards, to commemorate special evenings at the theatre. Most theatres in the 19th century would have had some made to mark grand openings or milestone performances. By the end of the First World War however the practice had generally died out, only being revived very occasionally, more often at London's opera houses than any other theatres. This playbill was produced for the production of Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Royal Princess's Theatre in London's Oxford Street on 16th March 1863, following its production at Windsor Castle on 4th February. Its format is a copy of the large paper playbills that Charles Kean was producing at the time, detailing costume sources, all the spectacular scene designs as well as the large cast and stage crew. Queen Victoria was fond of theatre and frequently requested private performances at Windsor which Charles Kean staged for her. Another silk programme would have been produced for the evening itself at Windsor. Silk programme for Macbeth and A Roland For an Oliver starring Charles Kean, Mrs. Kean and Ellen Tree, Royal Princess's Theatre, 16 March 1853. Letterpress, printed by John K. Chapman & Company. Landscape-format cream silk playbill with black letterpress typeface, in three columns and edged all round with gold-coloured metallic fringe. The left-hand column is headed with a lion and unicorn crest and the name of the theatre 'ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE' and that of the manager 'Mr. CHARLES KEAN'. Below that is the title of the play 'MACBETH', a note that it was selected for representation at Windsor Castle on 4th February, and a long discursive note by Charles Kean on the sources of the costume and an acknowledgement of the advice he received from George Godwin FRS. The centre panel has the date of the play WEDNESDAY March 16, 1853, the title of the play, the cast, and a list of the scenery and its designers. The right hand column cridits the 2-act farce A ROLAND FOR AN OLIVER and its cast, below which is a note of future productions, The Corsican Brothers; St. Cupid, or Dorothy's Fortune, and Marcospada