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Caricature of Squire Bancroft and Edgar Bruce
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Caricature of Squire Bancroft and Edgar Bruce
Caricature of Sir Squire Bancroft (1841-1926) and Edgar Bruce (1845?-1901), both actor-managers. Bancroft is portrayed as Shylock wanting his pound of flesh, in the form of payment for the use of the Prince of Wales Theatre, London.
1883
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Media ID 14309904
© Terry Parker / Mary Evans Picture Library
1883 Agreement Bancroft Bruce Bryan Character Cost Costs Crying Edgar Entracte Expense Expensive Flesh Knife Management Manager Managers Money Notice Payment Pound Rent Rental Scales Shakespeare Shakespearean Shylock Squire Tears
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This caricature from the 1880s depicts two prominent figures of the Victorian theatre scene, Sir Squire Bancroft and Edgar Bruce, engaged in a lively and humorous exchange. Sir Squire Bancroft, portrayed as the infamous Shylock from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, is shown demanding his pound of flesh from Edgar Bruce, who appears anxious and distressed. The setting is the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, where the rent dispute between the two actor-managers had reached a boiling point. The year was 1883, and the enactment of this theatrical tableau was a result of an escalating disagreement over the cost of rent for the theatre. The expenses had become increasingly burdensome for Bancroft, who, as the manager, felt the financial strain. Bruce, on the other hand, was unwilling to bear the brunt of the ever-rising costs. Bancroft, dressed in his Shylock attire, brandishes a knife and a set of scales, symbolizing the weighty financial burden he felt. Tears stream down his face as he cries out for his pound of flesh - a metaphor for the substantial payment he was seeking. Bruce, portrayed as the hapless Alonso, looks on with a worried expression, perhaps contemplating the implications of this financial quandary. This caricature, created by Terry Parker, offers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes drama of the Victorian theatre world. It serves as a reminder of the financial pressures that could arise during the management of a theatre and the challenges that actor-managers faced in their pursuit of artistic and financial success.
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