A Book of Burlesque: Sketches of English Stage Travestie and Parody

Step onto the glittering boards of Victorian London and discover a witty chronicle of the English stage’s most mischievous genre. This volume surveys the rise of burlesque—from its shadowy roots in pre‑Elizabethan mysteries to the flamboyant travesties that lampooned high drama and opera. With a light‑hearted tone, it shows how playwrights turned serious subjects into clever parodies, letting audiences laugh at the conventions of their day.

Organized as a series of compact sketches, the book groups together representative works and offers generous excerpts that reveal each writer’s distinctive comic method. Readers meet the likes of Planché, the Brough brothers, Burnand, and Gilbert, while learning why certain extravaganzas were left out in favor of pure travesty. The author’s love of literary detail shines through, providing dates, cast lists, and anecdotes drawn from original prompt books, making the history both informative and entertaining.