The Role Of Entertainment In Victorian England

Humans seek entertainment. Countless apps and websites have been created to provide us with easy access to the entertainment we seek. Homes contain television sets, gaming consoles, computers, and other technology that connects people to the world. The need for entertainment surrounds us. Before society developed all that it has, people still wanted to conquer boredom. A group of such people can be found in the residents of Victorian England. They developed new sports, created games, wrote plays, and made music. Entertainment was an important part of the lives of those living in Victorian-era England. Similar to today’s culture, sports played a large role in entertainment in the Victorian-era. The author of “Victorian Sports” notes, “Victorian
Drama”). With the influx of workers from the country coming to London, new theaters had to open to satisfy the demand. At the beginning of the century, restrictions put in place from the Licensing Act prohibited certain plays from being shown at certain theaters. Instead, a theatergoer could only watch in one of two theaters- either Drury Lane or Covent Garden. Plays shown in these locations were predominantly Shakespearean, but works from contemporary writers such as Sheridan were also popular. As time progressed onwards, non- patent theaters began operating with “ interspersed dramatic scenes with musical interludes” (“19th Century Theater: Early Vict. Drama”). Theater provided entertainment for people of all classes. Frequently, towns boasted one or two theaters. For people who lived in faraway villages, prints were made describing plays. Nicholas Temperley states about women in theater, “[They] enjoyed full acceptance, if not equality, as actors.” Famous actors from the time included: the Kemble family, who dominated the London theater stage at the time and were known as some of the greatest actors in England, Charles Kean, William Macready, and Henry Irving (Temperley). Genre wise, melodrama was by far the most beloved by
Without record players or iTunes, Victorian Englanders were limited to either producing music at home or going to see a live concert. With the new century, access to music became easier. Choral and piano pieces were published and sold on the amateur market, more people accepted music as a hobby, and the piano began a transition from grand to upright. Christina Bashford points out that there was, “a gradual relaxation in the taboos that had once prevented women from learning orchestral instruments and performing in public.” In fact, music became a way to show a woman’s education and grace (Weliver). Going to see music was still special though, as it is noted, “...hearing live music performed was a precious thing, to be cherished forever” (Bashford). However, as the century went on, people were able to see music live at music halls easier; though these halls frequently held unruly crowds. Access to music was not the only thing that changed, composer’s styles did, too. The Romantic Era allowed composers to have more freedom in the form and design of their songs. New music was meant to create feelings such as emotions, story of poems, descriptions of the countryside, fantasies and dreams, love, war, rivers, lakes, and pretty much any other thing that happened to inspire the composer (Fuller). Throughout the musical era, the size of orchestras rose. Such changes consist of