Main content

Whitby, wealth and a Shakespearean bachelor night

In the North Eastern coastal town of Whitby, an unusual performance of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice takes place one evening in 1844. A tale in which finance, wealth and value play a strong part, it may have struck a chord in a town where hundreds of people relied on 'Whitby jet' and the jewellery industry for a living. And it’s a night intriguingly sponsored by 'The Bachelors of Whitby'!

"There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than
between jet and ivory; more between your bloods than there is
between red wine and Rhenish." - Salarino in The Merchant of Venice (Act 3, Scene 1)

Theatre, Whitby (Credit: The British Library)
In the 19th century the jet industry was becoming a source of prosperity for the town – and possibly members of the audience on that particular evening

Who were the bachelors of Whitby? Was it a general catch all term for the gentlemen of the town, or a distinct group of men in search of diversion?

According to this playbill there was lots of entertainment for all tastes on offer this evening, Wed 7 February, 1844.

Like many others, it follows a traditional pattern. The more 'highbrow' drama of the Shakespeare play 'The Merchant of Venice' - a courtroom cliff hanger - followed by songs, dances and an interval performance and then the evening is rounded off with an afterpiece, the musical farce of 'Rosina'.

The playbill 'previews' Portia’s famous and familiar 'quality of mercy' speech from the play. For modern audiences it’s the equivalent of a film trailer.

Portia is asking for mercy but Shylock is intent on seeking his 'pound of flesh'. To find out what happens, spectators are urged to see the play.

Another theme – value and worth – may also have a particular meaning for the bachelors of Whitby.

In the 19th century the jet industry was becoming a source of prosperity for the town – and possibly members of the audience on that particular evening.

Hundreds of traditionally skilled craftsmen were employed to work 'Whitby jet' into fashionable items of jewellery. 'The Merchant of Venice' revolves around the theme of wealth, often in the form of gold, but jet is also fleetingly mentioned.

When Shylock’s daughter Jessica betrays him, he still insists that the girl is still his flesh and blood. However Salarino challenges him by using the comparison between jet and ivory to say that she is really nothing like him at all.

Whitby Abbey

Whitby and a Shakespearean Dracula Connection

Later on, Whitby had another interesting link with Shakespeare through Bram Stoker, the author of 'Dracula'.

Henry Irving (Credit: Line Yale Center for British Art; Gift of Michael H. LeWitt, Peter A. LeWitt and Erwin Strasmick)

He was a prominent theatre manager in London who oversaw many of the bard’s plays and his associate was the great Shakespearian actor Henry Irving.

Irving played Shylock in 1879 in a role that was described as the pinnacle of his career.

But he is often seen as Bram Stoker's inspiration for Dracula and this connection links Irving with Whitby – because we know the author may have discovered the name for his famous character when he stayed in the Royal Hotel in 1890 and certainly the town and the landscape feature in his Gothic masterpiece.

Jet cave near Whitby (c) Richard Wilsdon/North York Moors Caving Club

About Shakespeare on Tour

From the moment they were written through to the present day, Shakespeare’s plays have continued to enthral and inspire audiences. They’ve been performed in venues big and small – including inns, private houses and emerging provincial theatres.

BBC English Regions is building a digital picture which tracks some of the many iconic moments across the country as we follow the ‘explosion’ in the performance of The Bard’s plays, from his own lifetime to recent times.

Drawing on fascinating new research from Records of Early English Drama (REED), plus the British Library's extensive collection of playbills, as well as expertise from De Montfort University and the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Shakespeare on Tour is a unique timeline of iconic moments of those performances, starting with his own troupe of actors, to highlights from more recent times. Listen out for stories on Shakespeare’s legacy on your BBC Local Radio station from Monday 21 March, 2016.

You never know - you might find evidence of Shakespeare’s footsteps close to home…

Craig Henderson, BBC English Regions

Whitby and Theatre

From 1775 the town had a theatre – now a Grade 2 listed townhouse known as the Old Theatre – and the play was almost certainly staged at this venue.

The coastal town of Whitby

This theatre dates back to the popularity of Whitby as a spa resort.

Three mineral springs were in demand for their health-giving properties and visitors were attracted to the town.

They stayed in newly built lodging-houses and hotels and after a restorative treatment would have sought entertainment.

There was a local railway connection from around 1836 so it is possible the actors were from the Theatre Royal in York, a venue that was beginning to attract performers from the capital.

Related Links

Shakespeare on Tour: Around Tees

Shakespeare on Tour: Around the country