The Magistrate is a farce by the English playwright Arthur Wing Pinero. The plot concerns a respectable magistrate who finds himself caught up in a series of scandalous events that almost cause his downfall. It was Pinero's first attempt at farce, and he tried to raise the genre from the low, pantomime level by creating believable characters in credible situations. The play was a great success, opening at the Court Theatre in London on 21 March 1885, where it played for 363 performances in its first run. Three touring companies were needed to meet the demand for the play in the provinces.
This poster, depicting the titular character, is an advertisement for the premiere of The Magistrate at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh on 20 July 1885.Poster credit: Clement-Smith & Co.; restored by Adam Cuerden