James Robinson Planché (27 February 1796 – 30 May 1880) was a British dramatist,
antiquary and
officer of arms. Over a period of approximately 60 years he wrote, adapted, or collaborated on 176 plays in a wide range of genres including
extravaganza,
farce, comedy,
burletta,
melodrama and opera. Planché was responsible for introducing historically accurate costume into nineteenth century British theatre, and subsequently became an acknowledged expert on historical costume, publishing a number of works on the topic.