Title: Sir Henry Irving : a Victorian actor and his world /
Authors: Richards, Jeffrey.
Publisher: Hambledon and London,
Year: 2005
Subjects: Irving, Henry,; Actors Great Britain Biography.; Theater Great Britain History; Theater United States History
Abstract: "Sir Henry Irving was the greatest actor of the Victorian age and was thought of by Gladstone as his greatest contemporary. He transformed the theatre, in Britain and America, from a disreputable and marginal entertainment into a respected, civilising and uplifting art form. Irving's enthusiastic supporters, eager to see his every appearance, ranged from Queen Victoria to working men and housewives. At the Lyceum Theatre from 1878 to 1902, he set new standards in acting, often partnered by Ellen Terry, and in production. In 1895 he became the first actor to receive a knighthood. His tours to America brought a revolution in acting practice to the New World.
Contents: Sir Henry Irving -- Chivalry -- Ellen Terry -- The Victorian stage -- The Victorian repertoire -- Playwrights -- Ruskin and Ruskinism -- The arts -- Celebrity culture -- Critics and the press -- English history -- Foreign history -- Religion -- Shylock and the Jews.