The Golden Age of Pantomime: Slapstick, Spectacle and Subversion in Victorian England

Jeffrey Richards

Oct 2014 · I.B.Tauris

About this ebook

Queen Victoria and her family loved the pantomime, so did her subjects of all classes. The English Pantomime is one of the most popular, least analysed of all theatrical forms. It’s been the festive mainstay of the English stage since the eighteenth century, and it has survived by its ability to evolve. This continual evolution is traced by Jeffrey Richards in the first history of panto through its ‘Golden Age’ in Victorian England. He explores the spectacle, the slapstick, and the talent for subversion that nineteenth-century pantomime had – and still has in different ways. His story, told with panache and enjoyment, is peopled with remarkable actors, managers, producers and punters , across the country from Drury Lane to Blackpool. This is a treat as rich as turkey and Christmas pudding.

About the author

Jeffrey Richards is Professor of Cultural History at the University of Lancaster and a leading authority on Victorian popular culture, the Victorian theatre and twentieth century cinema. His study of Henry Irving (Hambledon 2005) was shortlisted for the Theatre History Book Prize. He is a regular reviewer and broadcaster.