Description
Book SynopsisUsing previously unpublished material from the National Archives, this book provides a thoroughgoing account of the introduction and abolition of theatre censorship in England, from Sir Robert Walpole's Licensing Act of 1737 to the successful campaign to abolish theatre censorship in 1968. It concludes with an exploration of possible new forms of covert censorship.
Trade Review`This book, well researched, cogently argued, and frequently revealing, is an important addition to the scholarly literature on theatrical censorship in Britain.' Jeffrey M. Richards, Comparative Drama
`a lucid and thorough account' Alec Patton, Theatre Journal
Table of ContentsTimeline. Statutory Theatre Censorship ; 1. Theatre Censorship under the Royal Prerogative ; 2. Statutory Theatre Censorship: 1737-1892 ; 3. The 1909 Challenge to Statutory Theatre Censorship ; 4. The Inter-War Years ; 5. The 1949 Bid to end Statutory Theatre Censorship ; 6. Further Attempts to end Statutory Theatre Censorship ; 7. The 1960s and the 1968 Theatres Act ; 8. The Aftermath: British Theatre following the Abolition of Statutory Censorship ; Conclusion
