Child labor greatly contributed to the cultural and economic success of the British Victorian theatrical industry. This book highlights the complexities of the battle for child labor laws, the arguments for the needs of the theatre industry, and the weight of opposition that confronted any attempt to control employers.

Reviews

“Child Labor in the British Victorian Entertainment Industry, 1875-1914 provides new insights into the interplay of large social, political, and economic factors with the particularized experience of stage children. It should be read by anyone interested in the history of British childhood, the Victorian era, the economics of theater, and the child-performer industry.” (Shauna Vey, The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, Vol. 10 (1), 2017)

"Dyan Colclough has produced a major study which breaks new ground in turning attention to the involvement of children and young people in the British theatre industry. It raises critical questions about their role as wage-earners and makes impressive use of little-known primary evidence to bring their everyday experiences to life. This refreshingly original work is written with clarity and authority. Anyone interested in the history of children in the modern era should read it." - Melanie Tebbutt, Head of Humanities Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

About the author

Dyan Colclough is Associate Lecturer in the Department of History, Politics, and Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: Child Labor in the British Victorian Entertainment Industry
Book Subtitle: 1875–1914
Authors: Dyan Colclough
Series Title: Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137496034
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan New York
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-50317-6Published: 09 November 2015
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-49603-4Published: 26 January 2016
Series ISSN: 2947-5767
Series E-ISSN: 2947-5775
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIV, 227
Topics: Performing Arts, Sociology of Family, Youth and Aging, History of Britain and Ireland, Childhood, Adolescence and Society, Theatre History, Theatre and Performance Studies

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Child Labor in the British Victorian Entertainment Industry

Overview

Access this book

Other ways to access

Table of contents (7 chapters)

Front Matter

Introduction

Raw Material, Labor, and the Finished Product: The Theatrical Child as Employee

Laboring Fairies: The Theatrical Child as a Family Resource and a Resourceful Child

The Performing Child and Its Audience

Performing Their Duty: Child Savers and the Theatrical Child

Protective Legislation and the Theatrical Child

Conclusion

Back Matter

Keywords

About this book

Reviews

About the author

Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Search

Navigation