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The famous American sisters playing Romeo and Juliet

TWO NIGHTS ONLY!! With those talented Artistes, MISS CUSHMAN and MISS SUSAN CUSHMAN, Whose success in London, and throughout the Provinces has been most enthusiastic.

This theatre playbill from the Theatre Royal in Nottingham heralds the arrival in 1847 of America’s first leading international actress, Charlotte Cushman.

Charlotte and Susan Cushman as Romeo and Juliet (c) Hulton Archive/Getty Images/Stringer

In the Victorian period, American actress Charlotte Cushman was well known for her openly 'masculine' independence, her deep voice and strong jaw.

But instead of this creating a scandal, Cushman gave the “soppy” role of Romeo a legitimacy which critics loved.

She was 30 at the time of this playbill and her Juliet, her younger sister Susan was 25.

Charlotte made her first professional appearance in Boston in 1835, and received rave reviews in New York for her Lady Macbeth.

Following the example of her sister, Susan started acting, before she married at 14. When Susan became pregnant, her husband left her, and Charlotte looked after her.

The sisters began to work together and Susan followed when Charlotte emigrated to England.

Following a successful run of performances as Romeo and Juliet in London from the end of 1845, the sisters toured the regions, also acting together in Twelfth Night.

Detail of Romeo and Juliet playbill from 1847

Cushman's colourful career

During her career Charlotte Cushman played more than 30 masculine roles including Hamlet, but it was alongside her sister Susan and their portrayals as Romeo and Juliet for which they became famous.

Charlotte never married and had a tempestuous love life, being linked with several close female friends. After living in England and Italy, she eventually returned to America, and died in Boston in 1876, aged 59.

In 1915 she was elected to the hall of fame for Great Americans, and The Charlotte Cushman Foundation was established to support provincial theatres and actors through grants. It remains active to this day.

The star-crossed sisters

“Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.”

Prologue from Romeo and Juliet

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

Related Links

Shakespeare on Tour: Around Notthingham

Shakespeare on Tour: Around the country