Shakespeare's Victorian Stage: Performing History in the Theatre of Charles Kean

by Richard W. Schoch

Overview

This is the first book to explore the revivals of Shakespeare's history plays, Henry V, Henry VIII, King John, Macbeth, and Richard II, as staged by the actor-manager Charles Kean in mid-Victorian London. These celebrated productions, renowned for their attention to antiquarian detail, provided an opportunity for audiences to participate in the Victorian obsession with history. Many illustrations are previously unpublished and the book will be of interest to scholars and students of theater history, Shakespeare studies and Victorian culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521622813
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/20/1998
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. 'The prince of theatrical antiquaries'; 2. 'Admirable exemplifications': the rise of theatrical historicism; 3. 'Solid fragments': the poetics of performing history; 4. 'The homestead of history': medievalism and nationhood on the mid-Victorian stage; 5. Clio: the Muse that got away; Envoi: 'Getting away from everything feels good'; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Richly researched and clearly written, the book makes a strong contribution to the growing body of work on Shakespeare and the Victorian period." South Atlantic Review

"Schoch's splendid book should inspire others to examine burlesque as a background to more familiar works." Studies in English Literature

"Schoch has covered much ground in this complex and well-written book..." Essays in Theatre

"One of the most useful aspects of this study is its consideration of the triangulation of historicized dramaturgy, national identity, and emancipatory rhetoric in mid-Victorian Britain....critically sophisticated." Shakespeare Quarterly

"...interesting...provocative ideas..." Choice

From the Publisher