Victorian era English drama
a change came in victorian era profusion on london stage of farces, musical burlesques, extravaganzas , comic operas competed shakespeare productions , serious drama likes of james planché , thomas william robertson. in 1855, german reed entertainments began process of elevating level of (formerly risqué) musical theatre in britain culminated in famous series of comic operas gilbert , sullivan , followed 1890s first edwardian musical comedies. w. s. gilbert , oscar wilde leading poets , dramatists of late victorian period. wilde s plays, in particular, stand apart many forgotten plays of victorian times , have closer relationship of edwardian dramatists such irishman george bernard shaw , norwegian henrik ibsen.
the length of runs in theatre changed rapidly during victorian period. transportation improved, poverty in london diminished, , street lighting made safer travel @ night, number of potential patrons growing number of theatres increased enormously. plays run longer , still draw in audiences, leading better profits , improved production values. first play achieve 500 consecutive performances london comedy our boys, opening in 1875. astonishing new record of 1,362 performances bested in 1892 charley s aunt. several of gilbert , sullivan s comic operas broke 500-performance barrier, beginning h.m.s. pinafore in 1878, , alfred cellier , b. c. stephenson s 1886 hit, dorothy, ran 931 performances.
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