Based on the sensational bestselling mystery novel by a young lawyer from New Zealand, the play "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab" was one of the most popular melodramas of its time. Originally produced in 1888, the play is regarded as one of the first detective stories for the stage and even included a detective who uses disguises several years before the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes. After its successful London engagement at the Princess's Theatre, the play toured the British provinces and became a staple of American stock companies will into the 20th Century.