Drama in the Victorian Age

Summary

This lecture delves into Victorian Drama, a period where drama wasn't the main genre but still had significant contributions. Despite the limited output, writers like Thackeray, Dickens, and Collins experimented with drama. Theatres were popular leisure spots, with plays often using everyday English. Drama was dominated by farces, melodramas, and historical plays, but faced censorship challenges. Tom Robertson pioneered realistic drama with 'Cup and Saucer' plays, influencing later works. Controversies and the influence of Henrik Ibsen led to 'Play of Ideas', epitomized by Oscar Wilde's witty comedies that critiqued Victorian hypocrisy. Other playwrights like Arthur Wing Pinero and Henry Arthur Jones also made notable contributions, reflecting the complex interplay of art, politics, and society.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Drama was not a major genre during the Victorian Age, but it's important to study the little output that was produced to understand literary trends and shifts.
• 📚 Many writers of the Victorian period, such as Thackeray, Dickens, and Wilkie Collins, were also novelists and experimented with drama, despite limited output.
• 🎟️ Theatre-going was a popular leisure activity, with playhouses like Covent Garden and Drury Lane accommodating large audiences and staging many plays.
• 🎨 The dominant types of drama during the Victorian period were Farces, Patomimes, Melodramas, and Historical plays.
• 🚫 The Theatres Licensing Act of 1737 imposed censorship on plays for about 230 years, restricting the freedom of dramatists and the range of subjects they could address.
• 🔓 The 1860s saw a shift towards more realistic depictions in drama, with playwright Tom Robertson leading this change and influencing what later became known as 'Cup and Saucer' dramas.
• 🌐 The influence of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen was significant in the Victorian stage, challenging social conventions and family institutions with his plays like 'A Doll's House'.
• 💡 George Bernard Shaw’s work 'The Quintessence of Ibsenism' was instrumental in promoting Ibsen’s work in England and the concept of the 'Play of Ideas'.
• 🎩 Oscar Wilde was a master of 'Play of Ideas', known for his witty and humorous plays that often dealt with taboo subjects and criticized the hypocrisy of Victorian society.
• 🚫 Despite his success, Wilde faced criticism and censorship, and his play 'Salome' was banned due to its controversial content.
• 📖 Other notable Victorian playwrights include Arthur Wing Pinero, Dandy Dick, Douglas Jerrold, Henry Arthur Jones, W E Henley, Tom Taylor, and Thomas William Robertson, each contributing to the diversity of Victorian drama.

Q & A

Why was drama not a major genre in the Victorian Age?

Drama was not a major genre in the Victorian Age because it was overshadowed by other forms of writing, such as prose and novels, which were more popular and experimental for writers of that time.

What were the two major patented playhouses during the Victorian period?

The two major patented playhouses during the Victorian period were Covent Garden and Drury Lane, which were enlarged to accommodate about 3500 people at a single time.

How did the Theatres Licensing Act of 1737 impact Victorian drama?

The Theatres Licensing Act of 1737 imposed censorship on plays, severely constraining and restricting the output of drama for about 230 years until its abolition in 1968. This led to a limitation on the range of subjects that could be handled on stage.

What type of drama dominated the Victorian period?

The type of drama that dominated the Victorian period was mostly Farces and Patomimes, along with melodramatic and historical plays.

Who is Tom Robertson, and what is his significance in Victorian drama?

Tom Robertson was a playwright who contributed significantly to Victorian drama by moving towards a more realistic form of depiction from the 1860s onwards. He is known for insisting on stage settings with real ceilings and properties, initiating 'Cup and Saucer' dramas.

What was the 'Cup and Saucer' drama, and how did it differ from earlier drama?

The 'Cup and Saucer' drama was a form of drama initiated by Tom Robertson that paid a lot of realistic attention to detail. It was in stark contrast to earlier drama, which could be staged with mere representative props placed on the stage.

What controversies emerged in the 1880s and 1890s that affected the growth of stage activities?

In the 1880s and 1890s, controversies arose due to the rise of realism in drama and literature, which was initially not well-received by the Victorian audience. This led to public outrage and even the burning of some realist novels.

How did Henrik Ibsen's work influence Victorian drama?

Henrik Ibsen's work, although written for a Norwegian audience, reached the English stage in the 1880s and sparked a revolution in dramatic genius and social conventions, challenging authority and questioning societal norms.

What is the concept of 'Play of Ideas', and how did it change Victorian drama?

The concept of 'Play of Ideas' marked a radical shift from action on the stage towards dialogues and the prominence of disseminating ideas. It led to a focus on intellectual content rather than just entertainment, with Oscar Wilde being a master of this new form.

What were the common themes in Oscar Wilde's comedies?

Oscar Wilde's comedies often dealt with dangerous and compromising secrets, social hierarchy, and the hypocrisy of the Victorian society. His works were known for their wit, humor, and critical examination of societal norms.

What was the significance of the Dramatic Authors Society founded by Douglas Jerrold in 1833?

The Dramatic Authors Society, founded by Douglas Jerrold in 1833, was significant as it aimed to protect the interests of playwrights, showing a crossover of politics and art to support each other.