39. 19Th century theatre. Melodrama

The patent theatres both burned down and were rebuilt on a massive scale: Drury Lane (1812) had a capacity of over 3200 while Covent Garden (1809) held slightly less. Their huge size coarsened acting; performers had to indulge in rant (szavalás) and bombast (fellengzős) to be effective over large distances. The large auditoriums also encouraged physical extravagance in plots and scenic effects; thus tastes coarsened, too. The patent theatres were the theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken drama" after the English Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Other theatres were prohibited from performing such "serious" drama, but were permitted to show comedy, pantomime or melodrama. Drama was also interspersed with singing or dancing, to prevent the whole being too serious or dramatic. The Lyceum introduced gas lighting early in the century, followed by the patent theatres in 1817. Gas lighting was flexible and easier to control: light could increase or fade quickly or slowly; various areas of the stage could be lit independently; and the soft radiance of gas created a fantasy world of compelling conviction. Limelight was invented in 1825 and steadily came into general use. Limelight gave an intense white light with a greenish hue. Held by a technician high up in the gallery, its brilliant circle of light followed the leading performer around the stage. The limelight was unreliable and dangerous but was used for generations; only in the twentieth century was it slowly phased out as modern electric lanterns became more effective. Traditions of great scene painting evolved: the Grieve family began its work at Covent Garden; and William Telbin worked at the Lyceum before moving to Covent Garden (1840). The increased size of London led to a greater audience. Smaller theatres sprang up. There were amphitheatres in Whitechapel, Shoreditch, and elsewhere. South of the Thames, the Royal Circus became the Surrey Theatre (1810), and the Coburg (1816) changed its name to the Royal Victoria in 1833. In inner London, in addition to the patent houses, there were the Lyceum, The Olympic (1806), the Strand (1832), and the St. James’ (1835). The forestage was reduced, which increased the numbers in the pit. The performance, which satrted at 6:00 p.m. (half-price for those coming after 8:00), consisted of at least three pieces: the main piece – usually sendwiched between two others, one of which was the afterpiece. Thus the entire performance lasted for four or five hours or longer. It was no wonder that tragedy and comedy degenerated into crude melodrama and farce. Polite society did not return to the theatres until Victoria had reigned for some years. The law said that only at Covent Garden and Drury Lane might characters in a play speak aloud to one another. Thus mostly dumb shows were performed at the smaller theatres. This let to utter simplicity (a black beard signified a villain) and magnification of action. For variety there were singing, dancing, combats, pageantry, and magnificient scenery.

Melodrama

“song drama”, “music drama”, first performed in France. It is a standard Hollywood model. Elements of melodrama: music, heroine, happy ending, mixture of suspense and comedy, physical conflict, animal acts, exotic location.