The Performing Century: Nineteenth-century Theatre's History (redefining British Theatre History)

This book looks at modes of performance and forms of theatre in Nineteenth-century Britain and Ireland. On subjects as varied as the vogue for fairy plays to the representation of economics to the work of a parliamentary committee in regulating theatres, the authors redefine what theatre and performance in the Nineteenth century might be. Inspired By An Astonishing True Story From World War Ii, A Young Woman With A Talent For Forgery Helps Hundreds Of Jewish Children Flee The Nazis In This Unforgettable Historical Novel From The International Bestselling Author Of The “epic And Heart-wrenching World War Ii Tale” (alyson Noel, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author) The Winemaker’s Wife. Eva Traube Abrams, A Semi-retired Librarian In Florida, Is Shelving Books One Morning When Her Eyes Lock On A Photograph In A Magazine Lying Open Nearby. She Freezes; It’s An Image Of A Book She Hasn’t Seen In Sixty-five Years—a Book She Recognizes As The Book Of Lost Names. The Accompanying Article Discusses The Looting Of Libraries By The Nazis Across Europe During World War Ii—an Experience Eva Remembers Well—and The Search To Reunite People With The Texts Taken From Them So Long Ago. The Book In The Photograph, An Eighteenth-century Religious Text Thought To Have Been Taken From France In The Waning Days Of The War, Is One Of The Most Fascinating Cases. Now Housed In Berlin’s Zentral- Und Landesbibliothek Library, It Appears To Contain Some Sort Of Code, But Researchers Don’t Know Where It Came From—or What The Code Means. Only Eva Holds The Answer—but Will She Have The Strength To Revisit Old Memories And Help Reunite Those Lost During The War? As A Graduate Student In 1942, Eva Was Forced To Flee Paris After The Arrest Of Her Father, A Polish Jew. Finding Refuge In A Small Mountain Town In The Free Zone, She Begins Forging Identity Documents For Jewish Children Fleeing To Neutral Switzerland. But Erasing People Comes With A Price, And Along With A Mysterious, Handsome Forger Named Rémy, Eva Decides She Must Find A Way To Preserve The Real Names Of The Children Who Are Too Young To Remember Who They Really Are. The Records They Keep In The Book Of Lost Names Will Become Even More Vital When The Resistance Cell They Work For Is Betrayed And Rémy Disappears. An Engaging And Evocative Novel Reminiscent Of The Lost Girls Of Paris And The Alice Network, The Book Of Lost Names Is A Testament To The Resilience Of The Human Spirit And The Power Of Bravery And Love In The Face Of Evil. In This Final Volume Of The Redefining British Theatre History Series, An Innovative And Wide-ranging Collection Of Essays Brings Together Leading Scholars From Britain And America. The Performing Century Looks At Modes Of Performance And Forms Of Theatre In Nineteenth-century Britain And Ireland, Placing Drama And Performance In The Social And Cultural Contexts Of The Rapid Transformations In Nineteenth-century Society. From The Vogue For Fairy Plays To The Acting Styles Of Melodrama, From The Work Of The Impresario George Edwardes To The Solo Comic Performances Of Charles Matthews, From Launching Ships In Belfast To Royal Weddings In England, From The Representation Of Economics In Drama To The Work Of A Parliamentary Committee In Regulating Theatres, From The Boxing Day Audiences For Pantomimes To The Nature Of Circus, The Authors Bring New Perspectives To Bear On Familiar Material And Radically Redefine The Meaning Of Theatre And Performance In The Nineteenth Century. Boxing Day / Jim Davis -- What Are Fairies For? / Tracy C. Davis -- Communal Performances : Royal Ritual, Revolution And National Acts / Emily Allen -- George Edwardes And Musical Comedy : The Transformation Of London Theatre And Society, 1878-1914 / Thomas Postlewait -- Nation And Neighbourhood, Jews And Englishmen : Location And Theatrical Ideology In Victorian London / Heidi J. Holder -- Theatre History And Capital On The Victorian Stage / Jane Moody -- Modernity, Geography And Historiography : (re)-mapping Irish Theatre History In The Nineteenth Century / Mark Phelan -- The Death Of Tragedy, Or, The Birth Of Melodrama / Jeffrey N. Cox -- Fitting The Bill : Acting Out The Season Of 1813/14 At The Sans Pareil / Gilli Bush-bailey -- Charles Mathews, Low Comedian, And The Intersections Of Romantic Ideology / Edward Ziter -- The Persistence Of Closet Drama : Theory, History, Form / Catherine Burroughs -- Shakespeare And The Music Hall / Richard Schoch -- What Is A Play? : Drama And The Victorian Circus / Jacky Bratton. Edited By Tracy C. Davis And Peter Holland. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction: the Performing Society....Pages 1-9 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 Boxing Day....Pages 13-31 What are Fairies For?....Pages 32-59 Communal Performances: Royal Ritual, Revolution and National Acts....Pages 60-79 George Edwardes and Musical Comedy: the Transformation of London Theatre and Society, 1878—1914....Pages 80-102 Front Matter....Pages 103-103 Nation and Neighbourhood, Jews and Englishmen: Location and Theatrical Ideology in Victorian London....Pages 105-120 Theatre History and Capital on the Victorian Stage....Pages 121-134 Modernity, Geography and Historiography: (Re)-Mapping Irish Theatre History in the Nineteenth Century....Pages 135-158 Front Matter....Pages 159-159 The Death of Tragedy; or, the Birth of Melodrama....Pages 161-181 Fitting the Bill: Acting Out the Season of 1813/14 at the Sans Pareil....Pages 182-197 Charles Mathews, Low Comedian, and the Intersections of Romantic Ideology....Pages 198-214 The Persistence of Closet Drama: Theory, History, Form....Pages 215-235 Shakespeare and the Music Hall....Pages 236-249 What Is a Play? Drama and the Victorian Circus....Pages 250-262 Back Matter....Pages 263-271 In this final volume of the Redefining British Theatre History series, an innovative and wide-ranging collection of essays brings together leading scholars from Britain and America. The Performing Century looks at modes of performance and forms of theatre in nineteenth-century Britain and Ireland, placing drama and performance in the social and cultural contexts of the rapid transformations in nineteenth-century society. From the vogue for fairy plays to the acting styles of melodrama, from the work of the impresario George Edwardes to the solo comic performances of Charles Matthews, from launching ships in Belfast to royal weddings in England, from the representation of economics in drama to the work of a parliamentary committee in regulating theatres, from the Boxing Day audiences for pantomimes to the nature of circus, the authors bring new perspectives to bear on familiar material and radically redefine the meaning of theatre and performance in the nineteenth century--Résumé de l'éditeur Published In Association With The Huntingdon Library, Redefining British Theatre History Is A Five-volume Series Under The General Editorship Of Professor Peter Holland. The Series Brings Together Major Practitioners In Theatre History In Order To Establish Ways In Which Previous Assumptions Need Fundamental Questioning And To Initiate New Directions For The Field. The Series Aims To Establish A New Future For Theatre History, Not Least By Making Theatre Historians Aware Of Their Own History, Current Practice And Future. This book brings together theatre historians to identify and exemplify a variety of productive new approaches to the investigation of plays, players, playwrights, playhouses and other aspects of theatre in the long eighteenth century. Their inquiries range from stage censorship and anti-theatricalism to the political resonances of adultery comedy. 'The Performing Century' looks at modes of performance and forms of theatre in 19th century Britain and Ireland. The authors bring new perspectives on familiar material and radically redefine what theatre and performance in the 19th century might be.