Politics, Performance and Popular Culture: Theatre and Society in Nineteenth-Century Britain

This collection explores the relationship between popular performance and politics in the 19th century, arguing that politics is performative and performance is political. It offers a conceptual framework for analyzing popular culture as an analytical category for social and political history, explores how performance represents and constructs contemporary ideologies, and investigates the performance techniques of specific politicians and collective movements.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2023
Publisher: Manchester University Press

This comprehensive collection delves into the intricate relationship between popular performance and politics across the nineteenth century, presenting a novel and archivally grounded perspective. It embraces the notion that politics is inherently performative, while performance holds political significance. The book is structured into three engaging parts, each engaging in a dialogue regarding specific approaches to popular performance and politics.

Part I kicks off the exploration by delving into conceptual studies, utilizing popular culture as a powerful analytical category for understanding social and political history. Through these studies, the book sheds light on the ways in which performance shapes and constructs contemporary ideologies related to race, nation, and empire.

Part II takes the readers on a journey to examine how performance represents and constructs these ideologies in real-time. It explores the ways in which performances, such as theater, music, and dance, convey messages and shape public perception, influencing political discourse and societal attitudes.

Part III delves into the realm of specific politicians and their remarkable performances. It analyzes the performative elements of collective movements, highlighting the ways in which individuals and groups use performance to mobilize support, advocate for change, and challenge established power structures.

By exploring these three parts, the collection offers a rich and multifaceted understanding of the complex interplay between popular performance and politics in the nineteenth century. It provides valuable insights into the ways in which performance can be used as a tool for social and political activism, as well as a means of constructing and challenging ideologies. This book is a must-read for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the intersection of culture, politics, and power.

Weight: 438g
Dimension: 233 x 156 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526167231