Skip to content
Home/ Routledge Pantomime Reader: 1800-1900
Routledge Pantomime Reader: 1800-1900

Routledge Pantomime Reader: 1800-1900

No customer reviews yet ISBN 9781032021218

The Routledge Pantomime Reader is the first anthology to document this entertainment genre--one of the most distinctive and ubiquitous in nineteenth-century Britain.

Across ten different shows, readers witness pantomime's development from a highly improvisational venue for clowning, dance, and musical parody to a complex amalgamation of physical and topical comedy, stage wizardry, scenic spectacle, satire, and magical mayhem. Combining well-known tales such as "Cinderella", "Aladdin", and "Jack and the Beanstalk" with the lesser-known plotlines of "Peter Wilkins" and "The Prince of Happy Land", the book demonstrates not only how popular narratives were adapted to the current moment, but also how this blend of high and low entertainment addressed a whole range of social and cultural anxieties. Along with carefully annotated scripts, readers will find detailed introductions to all of the collected pantomimes and supplementary materials such as reviews, reminiscences, and a host of visual materials that bring these neglected entertainments to life.

The plays collected here provide a remarkable perspective on the history of sexuality, class, and race during a period of vast imperial expansion and important social upheaval in Britain itself--essential reading for students and scholars of theatre history and popular performance.

About the author

Product details

Pub dateMay 31, 2023
ISBN-101032021217
ISBN-139781032021218
LanguageEnglish
Last updated 2026-07-23 00:21
$68.90
In stock soon — order now to reserve your copy
Delivery by Thursday, September 24, 2026
Qty
Sign in to Add to Saved list
Free delivery on orders over $35.
15-day returns. Any reason.
Secure checkout. We never store card details.

Readers who bought this also bought

More from Theater - Miming
See all