Contaminating Shakespeare on the Victorian Stage: Burlesque, Pantomime, and ‘Legitimate’ Acting

Shakespeare was widely present on the illegitimate stage for the whole nineteenth century. The first Shakespearean endeavours at minor theatres tended to emulate legitimate performances. When the craze for Shakespeare burlesques reached its apogee, however, the spoofing intent superseded the emulating one, and parodies of current patent productions involved not just antiquarianism and excessive visual spectacle but acting as well. Charles Kean was one of their first and favourite targets, and such parodies highlighted a manneristic, almost pantomimic, component of his acting that remained perceptible throughout his career but has seldom been noted by criticism. The article, through the analysis of key moments in legitimate and burlesque productions, will show how travesties can shed light on neglected aspects of legitimate performances. More than that, it will argue that the illegitimate theatre, through the parodies of acclaimed Shakespearean tragedians, re-appropriated a performance style that had originated on the illegitimate stage.