2025 marks the 250th anniversary of John Baskerville’s death. Baskerville was a Birmingham-based printer, publisher, craftsperson, inventor, and freethinker who was appointed printer to the University of Cambridge (1758-65) where he printed his magnificent folio Bible. His eponymous typeface is on almost every computer in the world, but he has otherwise been largely forgotten or misremembered.

So, John and his wife Sarah are back on this anniversary to set the story straight on their life and legacy, all while inducting you into their world of printing and craft.

Theatre(ish) invite you to have a go on a real tabletop printing press and consider how Baskerville’s progressive work and values can mean something for our society today.

This show has been inspired by the Birmingham City University and University of Cambridge AHRC-funded research project, 'Small Performances: investigating the typographic punches of John Baskerville through heritage science and practice-based research'', and has been developed from workshops and collaborative creative practice around Baskerville and his will.

Funded by: The Baskerville Society & The McDonald Institute of Archaeology. University of Cambridge

Booking Open: 11 August at 10:00 on the Open Cambridge Website