Synopses & Reviews
Over the centuries theatre history has been interpreted in ways which highlight and often omit key elements. As one of the leading scholars in the field, Jacky Bratton employs her expertise to explore this dilemma to discover how theatre history has been chronicled and how it is interpreted. Using a series of case studies from nineteenth-century British theatre, Bratton examines the difference between the existence of 'the drama' (plays and play literature) and 'the stage' (performance, theatre building, and attendance). By rejecting literary history, Bratton experiments with other ways of analysing the past, and the ways that have actually seemed relevant to the people on stage. This book suggests new histories: of theatrical story-telling, of performing families, and of the disregarded dramatic energy of Victorian entertainment. In the end, we gain a new perspective on theatre history, not only for the Romantic and Victorian periods, but for the discipline overall.
Review
"...[this] book continually challenges the way we think and write about theatre history and makes clear how carefully we need to engage with our sources. Conceptually sophisticated, it is written very accessibly and will surely become essential reading for all students of theatre historiography and of nineteenth-century British theatre." Modern Drama
Synopsis
Theater history has often been interpreted in ways which highlight and omit key elements. Jacky Bratton explores this dilemma by examining how theater history has been chronicled and interpreted. Analyzing case studies from nineteenth-century British theater, Bratton reveals the difference between the existence of the drama (plays and play literature) and the stage (performance, theater building, and attendance).
Synopsis
Over the centuries theatre history has been interpreted in ways which highlight and often omit key elements. Jacky Bratton employs her expertise to explore this dilemma to discover how theatre history has been chronicled and how it is interpreted. Using a series of case studies from nineteenth-century British theatre, Bratton examines the difference between the existence of 'the drama' (plays and play literature) and 'the stage' (performance, theatre building, and attendance). In the end, we gain a new perspective on theatre history and the discipline overall.
Synopsis
The history of the British stage retold from a different perspective.
About the Author
Jacky Bratton is Professor of Theatre and Cultural History at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; Part I. Background: 1. Theatre history today; 2. British theatre history: 1708-1832; 3. Theatre in London in 1832: a new overview; 4. Theatre history and reform; 5. Part II. Case Studies: 5. Anecdote and mimicry as history; 6. Theatre history and the discourse of the popular; 7. Claiming kin: an experiment in genealogical research; Notes; Index.