The Life of Henry Compton Introduction Henry Compton (1805-77) was a celebrated comedian and Shakespearean actor in the late Georgian and early Victorian eras. Though well-known and highly regarded at the time, and a regular star of both the West End and major provincial theatres, his name has not retained any prominence, unlike say Henry… Continue reading A Dynasty on Stage: Part Three: Henry Compton (1805-77)
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A Dynasty on Stage:Part Two: Joseph Cowell in America (1821-43)
Chapter 1 (Continued): The Life of Joe Cowell (1792-1863) Part Two: Joe Cowell in America (1821-43) The Park Theatre, New York 1821 Joseph Cowell and his young wife sailed the Atlantic for approximately six weeks. It would be another decade or more before steam ships became the predominant means of transatlantic travel, halving the length… Continue reading A Dynasty on Stage:Part Two: Joseph Cowell in America (1821-43)
A Dynasty on Stage: Part One
Two Hundred Years of One Theatrical Family: The Cowell-Compton-Bateman-Pélissiers General Introduction A Dynasty on Stage is the study of a single family with several branches interlinked by marriage – the Cowell-Compton-Bateman-Pélissiers. It is a story that encompasses over two hundred years of theatrical history, spanning six generations of acting, playwrighting, stage design, theatre management and… Continue reading A Dynasty on Stage: Part One
Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 4
The Reclaiming of an Authentic African-American Contribution: Part Four: From Seaside to West End Stage & Seaside Entertainers When the white American blackface minstrels first arrived in Britain, they were immediately able to take up formal residency in auspicious, professional theatres. Rice performed in the West End at the Adelphi theatre in 1836, while in… Continue reading Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 4
Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 3
The Reclaiming of an Authentic African-American Contribution: Part Three: Repression & Diaspora The African Grove Theatre Early nineteenth century New York City was home to a large community of black musicians and performers. However, until the Emancipation Act of 1827 in that state, such artists were banned from white theatres, while audiences were either racially… Continue reading Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 3
Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 2
The Reclaiming of an Authentic African-American Contribution: Part Two: Survival, Growth & Parody Fugitives North: Minstrelsy in New York I have thus far focused on the southern and mid-western states, but in the northeastern states too, black musicians were present and active well before the emergence of the blackface version of minstrelsy. In Black Gotham,… Continue reading Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 2
Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 1
The Reclaiming of an Authentic African-American Contribution: Part One: Who Were the Original Authentic Black Minstrels? Introduction In a recent documentary1 on BBC television, the actor David Harewood examined the phenomenon of ‘blackface minstrelsy’, a form of popular musical entertainment once ubiquitous throughout the United Sates and the United Kingdom that reached its zenith in… Continue reading Minstrelsy in Victorian Britain Part 1