The Theatre Of The London Fairs In The 18Th Century
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good , price clipped
Markings: No markings
A landmark work of theatre history, The Theatre of the London Fairs in the 18th Century chronicles the vibrant and often raucous world of popular entertainment that flourished at Bartholomew, Southwark, and other celebrated London fairs during the 1700s. Sybil Rosenfeld meticulously details the booths, showmen, performers, and dramatic offerings that drew enormous crowds from every stratum of society, painting a vivid picture of a theatrical culture that existed largely outside the licensed patent theatres. With scholarly precision and an evident enthusiasm for her subject, Rosenfeld uncovers the surprising sophistication of fair entertainments — from pantomimes and rope-dancing to miniature operas and puppet shows — arguing that these popular spectacles played a crucial role in shaping the broader theatrical landscape of Georgian England. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources including playbills, diaries, and contemporary accounts, the work presents an authoritative and richly textured account of a world that was as ephemeral as it was influential. This essential reference for historians of drama and popular culture illustrates just how deeply the fairground stage was woven into the social and artistic fabric of eighteenth-century London.
Author: Sybil Rosenfeld
Format: Hardback
Published: 1960, Cambridge University Press
Genre: Preforming Arts
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good , price clipped
Markings: No markings
A landmark work of theatre history, The Theatre of the London Fairs in the 18th Century chronicles the vibrant and often raucous world of popular entertainment that flourished at Bartholomew, Southwark, and other celebrated London fairs during the 1700s. Sybil Rosenfeld meticulously details the booths, showmen, performers, and dramatic offerings that drew enormous crowds from every stratum of society, painting a vivid picture of a theatrical culture that existed largely outside the licensed patent theatres. With scholarly precision and an evident enthusiasm for her subject, Rosenfeld uncovers the surprising sophistication of fair entertainments — from pantomimes and rope-dancing to miniature operas and puppet shows — arguing that these popular spectacles played a crucial role in shaping the broader theatrical landscape of Georgian England. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources including playbills, diaries, and contemporary accounts, the work presents an authoritative and richly textured account of a world that was as ephemeral as it was influential. This essential reference for historians of drama and popular culture illustrates just how deeply the fairground stage was woven into the social and artistic fabric of eighteenth-century London.