[ George William Lovell, English playwright. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Geo W Lovell') to Charles Kean, praising his 'incomparable Cardinal' (i.e. his performance as Cardinal Wolsey in 'Henry VIII'). With unsigned autograph note by Kean.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with light glue stains on blank reverse of second leaf. Lovell writes in jaunty tones: 'When I quitted Town I left your incomparable Cardinal in the plenitude of his power & on my return I find him still in the ascendant & his glory undiminished! - Such a man belongs to posterity & my posterity are anxious to pay (?) [the question mark is Lovell's, the implication being that they want to get in to a performance without paying] their homage to him. Has your Eminence a Private Box or Admissions that you can spare my juveniles for either tomorrow or Thursday?' In a postscript he offers his family's 'best Compliments to Mrs. Kean'. On the recto of the second leaf Kean has written: 'Send a T. Box with my compliments for Thursday next 30th.' According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, Kean's production of 'Henry VIII' opened at the Princess's Theatre, London, on 16 May 1855, 'with new roles for both Keans, it was a major triumph, playing successively for a hundred nights, for fifty the next season, and for thirteen in the final season. Kean's Wolsey was his first new Shakespearian role at the Princess's; notable for ‘restrained force’ and realistic detail, it was highly praised.' Kean's association with Lovell was strong: the latter's play 'The Wife's Secret' was a staple in the actor's repertoire throughout his career.