British Library Playbills
Explore the rich history of theatre through an extensive collection of playbills and programmes.
BL Playbills collection
Explore 80,000+ British Library playbills (1600–1902) with fast AI search. View high-res images, read detailed summaries, copy text and download your favourites. Filter, discover, enjoy.
Download the original PDFs from the Library, explore more BL digital collections, and dive into how AI helped build this site in the BL blog post.
The updated interface functions well on mobile phones and tablets so you can explore the collection on the move.
Feedback: blplaybills@gmail.com
How to Use the Site
Smart Search Options
Enter your keywords in the search bar to explore the archive. You can choose from three search types:
- Text: Standard keyword matching for general queries.
- Exact Phrase: Find specific titles or lines of text.
- Semantic: Use AI to find playbills based on meaning and context, even if the exact words don't match.
Browse & Explore
Results are displayed in a responsive grid. Click any playbill to open the Detail View for high-resolution images and full metadata.
Use the Copy Text button to grab OCR content or View Image for the original scan.
Switch between this view and the grid using the Home and Results tabs. On mobile toggle between views by clicking .
Pro Tip: On desktop, use your keyboard ← → arrow keys to navigate the grid quickly.
Refine & Customize
Narrow down your search results by specific dates, venues, or genres using the Filter button. Active filters can be cleared with a single click.
Prefer a different look? Toggle between Light and Dark mode using the theme switch in the header to suit your reading environment.