Just like Robert Tanitch's critically acclaimed book on the London stage in the twentieth century this wonderful new book is 'fascinating - absolutely wonderful for finding what you aren't looking for'. Presented chronologically the concise and well-crafted entries describe all of the major new plays and revivals great actors famous performances and spectacular productions with a wicked sprinkling of acerbic reviews and spicy criticism. Over 250 contemporary illustrations of theatres actors playbills and productions help evoke the dramatic atmosphere of a period in which the lavish was expected - including erupting volcanoes one performance with a cast of 650 and a reconstruction of Henley Regatta complete with real boats andWWWW 200 tons of water. This is a joyous celebration of 100 years of all things theatrical. A total pleasure to dip into - and a real feast for the eye - this book is a must for theatre-lovers the world over. Hardback
London Stage in the Nineteenth Century is a fascinating record decade by decade year by year of great actors famous performances major premieres celebrated revivals and spectacular productions.
The book features legendary actors in their most famous roles including Sarah Siddons John Philip Kemble Edmund Kean &lsquoJoey&rsquo Grimaldi William Charles Macready Ira Aldridge Edwin Booth Ellen Terry Henry Irving Dan Leno Eleonora Duse and Sarah Bernhardt.
Major premieres included the plays of popular writers such as Dion Boucicault Tom Taylor Tom Robertson Henry Arthur Jones Arthur Wing Pinero Oscar Wilde the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan and the notorious London debut of Henrik Ibsen.
The most celebrated revivals were of Shakespeare although the spectacular productions of his plays were for the most part at the expense of his texts which were rewritten bowdlerised and disembowelled. In an age when London was the largest and most important city in the world its theatrical life was vibrant and expansive reaching huge audiences.
The book contains over 220 contemporary illustrations of actors productions theatre buildings and playbills all of which help to capture an era in which the public wanted the histrionic and the sensational including erupting volcanoes burning buildings historical tableaux reconstructions of military battles and even a presentation of Henley Regatta complete with real boats andWWWW 200 tons of water.
There was a wide variety of entertainment on offer. There were melodramas comedies farces pantomimes and extravaganzas by J. R. Planché burlettas operas ballets musicals and music halls. There were regular adaptations of novels most notably those by Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens and numerous adaptations and plagiarisms from the French dramatists. There were plays based on recent murders and plays dealing with topical social issues such as fallen women poverty crime slavery and factory conditions. There were patriotic pageants aquatic dramas equestrian dramas canine dramas and even elephant dramas.
