Afterword: the cannibalisation of Sweeney Todd

Abstract:

On commencing this paper on Sweeney Todd I checked a number of general histories to see if this particular melodrama, perhaps one of the most widely known examples of the genre, was mentioned. To my surprise there was no reference in any of the standard histories of nineteenth-century theatre and drama, including the recent Cambridge History of British Theatre, and only a cursory reference to a later version of the play in The Cambridge Companion to Victorian and Edwardian Theatre. 1 Even the standard works on melodrama pay it minimal attention or none at all. One notable exception is Daniel Gerould’s anthology of criticism, which devotes space largely to Sondheim’s version, while also including a useful ‘Toddography’. 2 Yet, in general, this is a play which seems to be omitted from the broad surveys of nineteenth-century British theatre and melodrama. What factors have determined this omission? Why …

Año de publicación:

2011

Keywords:

Fuente:

google