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The Spectacular Century

The Spectacular Century

Written by: Theatre & Visual Culture in the Long Nineteenth Century Project
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About this listen

Nineteenth century popular entertainments were colourful, vibrant and exciting. Listen in on conversations between experts Jim Davis, Kate Holmes, Kate Newey and Patricia Smyth. Hear us talk about what made entertainments like melodrama, pantomime, movement and art so much fun and why we should care in this AHRC-funded podcast.


To find out more visit http://theatreandvisualculture19.wordpress.com

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Theatre & Visual Culture in the Long Nineteenth Century Project Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Engaged Audiences

    Engaged Audiences
    May 18 2022
    Kate Holmes visits one of our partner archives, the University of Bristol Theatre Collection. She talks to its Director Jo Elsworth, Archive Assistant Athene Bain and Catherine Hindson, who uses the collection in teaching and research within the Theatre Department. We discuss how their eclectic resources reveal how engaged nineteenth century audiences were and the archive as an inspirational place. For more, including how to visit, see: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/theatrecollection People, Plays, Places mentioned in this podcast:Professor: Glynne WickhamObject: Bristol Old Vic ‘Cannonball’ CounterweightFan Culture: Tinsel PrintsActor/Manager: Herbert Beerbohm TreeActor/Manager: Henry IrvingPlay: Davis, Leopold Davis (1871) The BellsTheatre: Bristol Old Vic TheatreObject: Artful Dodger Costume, Eric Jones Evans CollectionPlay: Potter, Paul M (1895) TrilbyObject: Lillian Baylis’ desk (Theatre Producer & Manager)Social Reformer & Manager: Emma Cons, London Old Vic Suffrage Campaigner, Theatre Director & Costumier: Edith CraigPerformer: Maud Beerbohm TreeMajor Collection: Mander & Mitchenson Collection Want to find out more after this podcast? Here’s our pick of free online resources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    32 mins
  • Audiences in the Archive

    Audiences in the Archive
    Apr 27 2022

    Kate Holmes and Kate Newey talk to Phil Wickham, Curator of the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. Phil discusses how varied the museum’s nineteenth century holdings are and what they reveal about everyday audience-going.


    For more on the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, including how to visit, see: https://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk


    People and Entertainments named in this podcast:

    • Filmmaker: Bill Douglas
    • Entertainment: Magic lanterns
    • Entertainment: Nineteenth-Century Panorama
    • Entertainment: Diorama Paintings
    • Entertainment: Peep (or Raree) Show
    • Performer: Albert Smith
    • Our YouTube Channel
    • YouTube video on Playbills
    • YouTube video on Music Hall Celebrity Postcards
    • Entertainment: Praxinoscope
    • Theatre Praxinoscope
    • Film: Douglas, Bill (1986) Comrades
    • Entertainment: Shadow Puppet Shows
    • Entertainment: Thaumotrope
    • YouTube video of Vampire Peep Show created as part of this project by Tony Lidington
    • Book: Della Porta, Giovanni Batista (1658) Natural Magick



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    24 mins
  • Moving Bodies

    Moving Bodies
    Apr 13 2022

    Kate Newey and Kate Holmes talk about moving bodies, equipment assisting movement and why we should care about silent moving bodies. They touch upon gendered ideas, costume, risk and how elite ballet developed from the popular entertainment of pantomime.


    Entertainments, performers, movements & incidents: 


    • Entertainment: Pleasure Gardens (including Cremorne & Vauxhall)
    • Entertainment: Music Hall
    • Entertainment: Concert Dance
    • Entertainment: Ballet. For more on differences between romantic & classical see: https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/different-types-ballet
    • Entertainment: Nineteenth Century Burlesque – this doesn’t have the same meaning as today. For more see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_burlesque
    • Aerialist: Jules Léotard
    • Physical Culture Movement: Muscular Christianity
    • Aerialist: Mademoiselle Azella
    • Ballet: Adam, Adolphe (1841) Giselle, ou les Wilis
    • Train accident: 1918 Hagenbeck Wallace train wreck
    • Stage technology: trap doors. See this video for nineteenth century traps still working at the Gaiety on the Isle of Man.


    Want to find out more after this podcast? Here's our pick of free online resources.


    Music: Ambient piano & strings by ZakharValahaa.


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    34 mins
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