Life on the Victorian Stage: Theatrical Gossip

by Nell Darby

Overview

The expansion of the press in Victorian Britain meant more pages to be filled, and more stories to be found. Life on the Victorian Stage: Theatrical Gossip looks at how the everyday lives of Victorian performers and managers were used for such a purpose, with the British newspapers covering the good, the bad and the ugly side of life on the stage during the nineteenth century. Viewed through the prism of Victorian newspapers, and in particular through their gossip columns, this book looks at the perils facing actors from financial disasters or insecurity to stalking, from libel cases to criminal trials and offers an alternative view of the Victorian theatrical profession.

This thoroughly researched and entertaining study looks at how the Victorian press covered the theatrical profession and, in particular, how it covered the misfortunes actors faced. It shows how the development of gossip columns and papers specializing in theater coverage enabled fans to gain an insight into their favorite performers lives that broke down the public-private divide of the stage and helped to create a very modern celebrity culture.

The book looks at how technological developments enabled the press to expose the behavior of actors overseas, such as when actor Fred Solomon's' bigamy in America was revealed. It looks at the pressures facing actors, which could lead to suicide, and the impact of the 1857 Matrimonial Causes Act on what the newspapers covered, with theatrical divorce cases coming to form a significant part of their coverage in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Other major events, from theater disasters to the murder of actor William Terriss, are explored within the context of press reportage and its impact. The lives of those in the theatrical profession are put into their wider social context to explore how they lived, and how they were perceived by press and public in Victorian Britain.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473882454
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
Sales rank:	475,551
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Nell Darby is a historian and writer, and was both born in, and still lives in, Oxfordshire. She originally trained as a newspaper reporter, and was formerly the editor of Your Family History magazine. She has a monthly history column in the Stratford Herald newspaper and writes about social and criminal history for many newspapers and magazines. Nell has a PhD in the history of crime and writes the popular Criminal Historian website (www.criminalhistorian.com).

Table of Contents

Foreword 7

Introduction 9

Part 1 Business Lives 13

Chapter 1 Licensing the Theatre 15

Chapter 2 Theatrical Libel 21

Chapter 3 Bankruptcy 31

Chapter 4 In Breach of Contract 37

Chapter 5 Celebrity Culture 43

Part 2 Criminal Lives 49

Chapter 6 Blackmail 51

Chapter 7 Assault 59

Chapter 8 Theft 71

Chapter 9 Prostitution 77

Chapter 10 Murder, Murder! 83

Part 3 Personal Lives 89

Chapter 11 Sex and Seduction 91

Chapter 12 Breaches of Promise 99

Chapter 13 Till Death Us Do Part? 105

Chapter 14 Bigamy 115

Chapter 15 Divorce 125

Chapter 16 Death and Disaster 135

Notes 145

Select Bibliography 167

Index 173

Editorial Reviews

Essential reading for historians and students of theatre history, of course, but written in such an engaging style it will appeal to just about anyone.

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