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A programme or program (see spelling differences) is a booklet available for patrons attending a live event such as theatre performances, , fêtes, events, etc. It is a printed leaflet outlining the parts of the event scheduled to take place, principal performers and background information. In the case of theatrical performances, the term playbill is also used. It may be provided free of charge by the event organisers or a charge may be levied.
In early British theatre, the cast was very important. Audiences were very familiar with leading actors and a particular player could draw a larger crowd. The programme was a kind of contract between the theatre and the audience, because if an audience paid to see a particular actor and they were not presented with him, there was the immediate risk of crowd hissing, orange throwing, or even rioting. This sometimes resulted in property damage and physical assault.
Programmes were not only distributed in theatres, but also on the streets. The distributors were often women who worked for the theatre by selling oranges as refreshments to audiences. It has been alluded to that these women were also prostitutes. However, there was still a large rate of illiteracy among theatre goers. This resulted in companies of actors traversing urban streets with a beating drum while announcing upcoming venues.
By the 19th century, the programmes, similar to today's, were being printed. However, the earlier playbills of the 18th century still contained more designs and information about a production.Bloom, Ken. Broadway: Its History, People, and Places: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routland, 2004. (p 279) By 1884, advertisements had become a standard feature in playbills. Beginning in New York City, the first company to specialize in printing theatrical programmes was founded by an Ohio business man, Frank Vance Strauss. By 1911, the company was called the Strauss Magazine Theatre Program. On September 23, 1920, the company, then known as the New York Theatre Program Corporation, advertised its sales at a million and a half per month."Printers' Ink," no. 112: 45 This corporation was the early foundation for the modern day magazine, Playbill.Botto, Louis. At This Theatre: 100 Years of Broadway Shows, Stories, and Stars. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2002. (p xiii)
During World War II, British theatre programmes underwent a dramatic change as the government placed restrictions over paper use. The programme turned back into a single sheet of paper folded over once to efficiently create four available pages for text. Not until the 1970s were photo printed programmes available and widely distributed at British theatres. The American Playbill did not suffer as severely during the second World War and was still published at a regular rate.
Theatre programmes have become very valuable articles of information for a city or nation's cultural history. An example is Australia's celebration in 2008 over the returning of its earliest surviving document from Canada, which was a theatre playbill from 1796. The playbill advertised the production of The Tragedy of Jane Shore. George Hughes, a convict aboard the First Fleet, printed the playbill using Australia’s first printing press.
In September 2017, the British Library opened its "In the Spotlight" project, showcasing a portion of its collection of nearly a quarter of a million playbills dating from the 1730s to the 1950s. A selection of the playbills were digitalised and placed online, allowing the public to view them, and give feedback.
Oftentimes in European sports, independent companies will publish their own programmes and sell them outside a venue. These are known as fanzines. Although it is less common in the United States, outside of Fenway Park, this is a common occurrence as Yawkey Way Report is sold as well as another booklet.
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