Sir Henry Irving: Theatre, Culture and Society

Henry Irving, the actor-manager who ruled the Lyceum and became the first actor to be knighted, spent much of his career arguing that the stage deserved a place among the serious arts. This collection gathers essays, addresses and lectures on acting, dramatic production and Shakespeare, setting out the case he made to the Victorian public for theatre's standing in culture and society.

Jeffrey Richards, Professor of History at the University of Lancaster, brings a historian's eye to the material. It suits anyone curious about Victorian theatre, the history of acting, or how Shakespeare was staged and understood in the nineteenth century.