Can this be the famous Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean performing in an Oxford pub?

Mirth and mimicry are on offer at the Mitre Inn in the heart of Oxford. At first glance this looks as though it’s Edmund Kean, King of the Georgian stage who is displaying his virtuosity.

A cross between Rory Bremner and Mike Yarwood, his series of “Imitations, Theatrical and Senatorial”, includes scenes from Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.

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With thanks to The British Library

The real Mr Kean (c) York Museums Trust (York Art Gallery)

Or is he? Because this playbill stored in the British Library is dated 1790, which would make the famous Kean just three-years-old, hardly timely enough for even the irascible Kean to have made his mark. Is it simply a mistaken date – or maybe even some kind of prank or satire?

Hannah Manktelow, University of Nottingham doctoral student

Our playbills expert Hannah Mantlekow, doctoral student working with the British Library, has dug a bit deeper to discover more about the mysterious Mr Kean.

“This is really interesting as it cannot be Edmund Kean. Not only because it's too early, but because he would not have performed this sort of night - imitations of well-known performers. That just wasn't his thing - he had a very distinct performance style.”

She adds, “I've searched for this performer on British newspapers and have found quite a few mentions of this Mr Kean performing the same act in Newcastle, Kent, and Oxford in the late 1780s and early 1790s, so it seems legitimate.”

It is difficult to prove anything further about this actor who may have some connection with his more famous namesake, but then again, it could just be coincidence.

Whatever the truth – the evening’s entertainment has scant respect for the leading worthies of the day, including several revered Shakespearean actors, Mr Kemble, Mr Holman and the late Mr Henderson. Our Mr Kean is merciless. Like the best imitators, he is performing in front of a sophisticated audience who would be quick to recognise the person pilloried and enjoy the joke.

For all concerned, be they performer or spectator, it is an evening to enjoy being part of an exclusive coterie.

Full Mr Kean playbill. Credit: British Library

A typical night's entertainment in Oxford...

Mr Kean entertains the local crowd with his mimicry and impersonations

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

Edmund Kean was a legend…controversial, short of stature, and loved a drink – so over the course of the evening – whether it was Kean or someone impersonating him - you could imagine his “imitations” becoming wilder and wilder.

He was well known for his short stature, tumultuous personal life, and controversial divorce. He expired of dissipation at the age of 45.

This playbill demonstrates the wide and far ranging venues in which Shakespeare was performed – it wasn’t just big theatres it was local pubs. The idea that a selection of a ‘variety’ of roles would be showcased is interesting, it’s like a cross between a medley of songs and some stand up comedy.