Twelfth Night Dance

• Old Vic Circle Twelfth Night Dance
• at the Royal Horticultural Hall
• Master of Ceromonies: John Laurie
• 6 January 1925
• 121 x 114mm (4¾ x 4½in)
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As the New Year dawns, this charming piece of ephemera invites us to step back into a forgotten celebration—a Twelfth Night dance held nearly a century ago. Acquired at the society’s summer fair last year, the programme reveals layers of historical intrigue and cultural significance, far surpassing the initial impression it gave on discovery.

Twelfth Night traditions in Britain trace back hundreds of years, steeped in festivity and symbolism. By the 19th century, the middle classes embraced the custom of sending opulent Twelfth Cakes adorned with regal figures of the King and Queen, often accompanied by printed sheets of Twelfth Night characters. These traditions celebrated the conclusion of the Christmas season with grandeur and revelry.

The front of this dance programme is illustrated with an elaborately decorated Twelfth Cake, topped with the majestic figures of the King and Queen. It’s heartening to see that this ancient festival was still being observed in the early 20th century, in this case by the Old Vic Theatre, where the ceremonial Cutting of the Cake formed part of the evening's festivities.

Inside, a dance schedule lists the evening’s entertainment, including the Fox Trot and the One Step. At first glance, the two pencilled names scribbled within seemed inconsequential. However, closer examination revealed them to be the autographs of two celebrated actresses of the day, Marie Ney and Sybil Thorndike.

Who knows if Marie partnered the original owner of this card for the Fox Trot, or if Sybil joined them for the One Step? Or perhaps the signatures were simply treasured keepsakes, collected by an admirer enchanted by the merriment of the evening. Whatever the story, this programme serves as a poignant reminder of a joyful, fleeting moment in time, where history, tradition, and celebrity intertwined on the dance floor.