The Economics of the British Stage 1800–1914
The Economics of the British Stage 1800–1914
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USDDuring the nineteenth century, British theatre developed into an industry with considerable importance in the economy, diversified by whole new forms of entertainment - first music hall then cinema - evolving alongside the dramatic stage. This comprehensive study examines the theatre's growth from an economic perspective. Tracy Davis reflects the debates of economic theorists from Adam Smith to Alfred Marshall to investigate three key areas: the state's role in protecting theatre; the factors affecting the success or failure of theatre companies; and how theatre came to be regarded as one of the 'service industries'. By grounding debates about subsidization and the economic viability of the live arts in an era predating government funding, Davis sheds light on the history of cultural policy for the arts in Britain. Her book will interest scholars across a range of disciplines - theatre, social history, economics, gender studies and the sociology of culture.
- A comprehensive study of economic theory in relation to nineteenth-century British theatre
- Broad interdisciplinary appeal - theatre, social history, economics, sociology of culture, gender studies
- Provides an alternate perspective on the history of cultural policy for the arts in Britain
Reviews & endorsements
"[A]n immensely accomplished work of theatre history." Essays in Theatre
"Copious, precise, and palpable, Davis's scholarly labors--the scene of her writing--become the scrim through which to encounter the economic conditions in which British theatre was produced between the years 1800 and 1914." Theatre Journal
"This book will appeal to historians of the theater and of media studies; its focus on the theater as an industry adds a new dimension. The author brings very useful statistics to illuminate the study of costs. The book will also make fascinating reading for social and cultural historians." EH.NET
Product details
June 2007Paperback
9780521036856
528 pages
229 × 153 × 30 mm
0.786kg
17 b/w illus. 29 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- List of illustrations
- List of figures
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Note to readers
- Introduction
- Part I. Competition: Theatre and Laissez-Faire:
- 1. Monopoly and free trade: fair and unfair competition
- 2. Property and the stakes of private interest
- 3. Industrial regulation and safety
- 4. Marginal economics, national interest and the half-naked woman
- Part II. Ownership and Entrepreneurialism:
- 5. Opportunity, finance and failure
- 6. Profit
- 7. Business structures
- 8. Gender, 'gentlemanly capitalism' and the wo-manager
- Part III. Industrialization, Commodity Capitalism and Theatre Production Systems:
- 9. Labour and labourers
- 10. Theatre as cultural capital
- Appendix: 'To the public. Charles Kemble's mercies or the '999' increasing'
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index.
