Nineteenth Century Views on Theater and Drama in English

With the passing of the Licensing Act of 1737 and until its repeal in 1969 the Lord Chamberlain’s office has been legally able to censor any drama to be performed at established theatres in England. However, the 1737 Act left inconsistencies in the definition of censorship and the role of censor. People who were involved in theatre believed the Lord Chamberlain’s office gained too much power from the Act. In the nineteenth century, actors, playwrights and members of Parliament agitated for the reform of the 1737 Licensing Act, which led to the establishment of three special parliamentary committees in 1822-1823, 1866 and 1892 as well as to the passage of a second Theatres [Licensing] Act in 1843. This paper will focus on the emerging view of the modern theatre as revealed by the witnesses examined by the special parliamentary committees and in the parliamentary debates. This paper will use the parliamentary debates, parliamentary committee reports and secondary historical scholarship including histories of drama and theatre