Treading The Boards – Actors and Theatres in Georgian Lincolnshire

Description

This book, the first to cover this subject, is nearly 300 pages of text and includes over 100 illustrations (photographs, drawings and plans).  It gives a comprehensive history of the Golden Age of theatres and acting in Lincolnshire between 1730 and 1850 and tells the story of drama in the county and adjacent towns during the rollicking Georgian era.  It shows how theatre flourished and actors made a living in Lincolnshire without needing to go elsewhere.  It describes their lives, successes and failures, the pleasures and hardships of life on the circuit.  The Peregrine Family of Grimsthorpe Castle invited Thomas Linley to visit – who has since been referred to as the English Mozart.  Indeed Mozart himself said that Linley had been a true genius.

In this period this area had more theatres than at any time before or since.  Robertson’s main company, one of the largest, was based in Lincoln and travelled round the county bringing the excitement of theatre to local towns as well as Newark, Peterborough and other places close by.  Smaller towns were also visited by other companies.  They made a great impact on their audiences, and the best actors went to star in London and America.

Neil Wright has studied the history of theatre in Georgian Lincolnshire for over 30 years.  He has published many books, including (available through this site) Lincolnshire’s Industrial Heritage – a Guide; Railways of Boston; and Sutton Bridge – an Industrial History.