Theatre in the Victorian era facts for kids
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The Victorian era was a time in British history when Queen Victoria was queen, from 1837 to 1901. During this period, theatre and literature became very popular. Many new theatres and drama schools were built. Also, new laws made theatre more open and free. Plays often showed real-life social problems. This era brought good times for the middle class in England, and it started to change the old ways of how society was organized.
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Victorian Theatre: A Popular Pastime
Theatre really grew during Queen Victoria's reign. It became very popular with many different people, not just the rich. One big reason for this was better transportation. Streets became safer at night, so people could travel to and from plays more easily. This meant plays could run for longer, which brought in more money and led to more theatres being built.
As more people went to the theatre, more plays were created than ever before. For example, when trains and buses became common, people from all around London could easily go to the theatre. This greatly increased the number of people buying tickets. At first, many audience members were from the lower classes, with some rich people too.
A big change happened in the middle of the Victorian era. Queen Victoria herself encouraged theatre, which made it even more respected. People started to see theatre as something that would become even more important in the future.
New Theatres and Stage Changes
With more people wanting to see plays, new theatres were needed in cities and towns. Older theatres were also updated. For example, between 1860 and 1870, theatres like the Royalty and The Gaiety were remodeled. From 1870 to 1880, new ones like The Court and The Imperial were built. This shows how much public interest in theatre was growing. In 1851, London had 19 theatres. By 1899, it had 61!
Victorian theatres were important places for fun. The stage often had a "picture frame" around it, which made the scenes look very real. This allowed for much more detailed and amazing stage designs than before. Over time, stage design improved a lot. It moved from old, traditional styles to more realistic ones.
This period also saw the rise of stage managers. These were like the modern-day directors and producers. Before, theatre productions could be quite messy and unorganized. There wasn't much control over all the people working on and behind the stage. But with stage managers, one person was in charge, and everyone followed their lead. For example, W. H. Murray, who owned the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, made sure his actors practiced exactly how they would perform. He wanted things to be orderly and realistic.
Famous Victorian Playwrights
Oscar Wilde was one of the most famous writers of plays during the Victorian era. His clever and witty plays were very popular. In 1892, his play Lady Windermere's Fan was a big hit. That same year, he also wrote Salome. Later, he wrote A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). These last two plays were full of smart jokes and surprising ideas. They were the last plays Wilde wrote before he became ill and passed away. His work has inspired many other writers and is still performed and translated today.
Other important playwrights of the time included John Millington Synge, known for plays like Riders to the Sea. George Bernard Shaw was another famous writer, who wrote over sixty plays. His plays often explored social issues like education, religion, marriage, and class differences. Some of his well-known plays are Arms and the Man and You Can Never Tell. Dion Boucicault was also a popular playwright, famous for The Colleen Bawn and The Shaughraun.
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