Nineteenth-Century Theatre and the Imperial Encounter

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Performing Arts, Theatre, History & Criticism, History, Modern, 19th Century
Cover of the book Nineteenth-Century Theatre and the Imperial Encounter by Marty Gould, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Marty Gould ISBN: 9781136740534
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: May 9, 2011
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Marty Gould
ISBN: 9781136740534
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: May 9, 2011
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In this study, Gould argues that it was in the imperial capital’s theatrical venues that the public was put into contact with the places and peoples of empire. Plays and similar forms of spectacle offered Victorian audiences the illusion of unmediated access to the imperial periphery; separated from the action by only the thin shadow of the proscenium arch, theatrical audiences observed cross-cultural contact in action. But without narrative direction of the sort found in novels and travelogues, theatregoers were left to their own interpretive devices, making imperial drama both a powerful and yet uncertain site for the transmission of official imperial ideologies. Nineteenth-century playwrights fed the public’s interest in Britain’s Empire by producing a wide variety of plays set in colonial locales: India, Australia, and—to a lesser extent—Africa. These plays recreated the battles that consolidated Britain’s hold on overseas territories, dramatically depicted western humanitarian intervention in indigenous cultural practices, celebrated images of imperial supremacy, and occasionally criticized the sexual and material excesses that accompanied the processes of empire-building. An active participant in the real-world drama of empire, the Victorian theatre produced popular images that reflected, interrogated, and reinforced imperial policy. Indeed, it was largely through plays and spectacles that the British public vicariously encountered the sights and sounds of the distant imperial periphery. Empire as it was seen on stage was empire as it was popularly known: the repetitions of character types, plot scenarios, and thematic concerns helped forge an idea of empire that, though largely imaginary, entertained, informed, and molded the theatre-going British public.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In this study, Gould argues that it was in the imperial capital’s theatrical venues that the public was put into contact with the places and peoples of empire. Plays and similar forms of spectacle offered Victorian audiences the illusion of unmediated access to the imperial periphery; separated from the action by only the thin shadow of the proscenium arch, theatrical audiences observed cross-cultural contact in action. But without narrative direction of the sort found in novels and travelogues, theatregoers were left to their own interpretive devices, making imperial drama both a powerful and yet uncertain site for the transmission of official imperial ideologies. Nineteenth-century playwrights fed the public’s interest in Britain’s Empire by producing a wide variety of plays set in colonial locales: India, Australia, and—to a lesser extent—Africa. These plays recreated the battles that consolidated Britain’s hold on overseas territories, dramatically depicted western humanitarian intervention in indigenous cultural practices, celebrated images of imperial supremacy, and occasionally criticized the sexual and material excesses that accompanied the processes of empire-building. An active participant in the real-world drama of empire, the Victorian theatre produced popular images that reflected, interrogated, and reinforced imperial policy. Indeed, it was largely through plays and spectacles that the British public vicariously encountered the sights and sounds of the distant imperial periphery. Empire as it was seen on stage was empire as it was popularly known: the repetitions of character types, plot scenarios, and thematic concerns helped forge an idea of empire that, though largely imaginary, entertained, informed, and molded the theatre-going British public.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Global Gender Issues in the New Millennium by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Disposable Cities by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Sustainability and Security within Liberal Societies by Marty Gould
Cover of the book The Changing Pattern of Employment by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Routledge Revivals: Bertolt Brecht: Dialectics, Poetry, Politics (1988) by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Literacy Hour and Language Knowledge by Marty Gould
Cover of the book The Language of Silence by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Feminism by Marty Gould
Cover of the book An Introduction to Daoist Thought by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Making New Zealand's Pop Renaissance by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Early Islamic Art and Architecture by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Prosperity and Depression by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Our Iron Roads by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Family Interventions in Substance Abuse by Marty Gould
Cover of the book Intermodal Freight Transport by Marty Gould
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy