Thomas William Robertson

Thomas William Robertson

.

Life and career

Born in Newark-upon-Trent, Nottinghamshire, The son of a provincial actor and manager, Tom Robertson belonged to a family famous for producing actors. The actress Margaret (Madge) Robertson was his youngest sister. Never a successful actor himself, he wrote a number of plays, mostly comedies, which achieved popularity. Robertson died at the age of 42 and is buried, as is his wife Elizabeth, at Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington.

Plays Produced

Robertson produced a farcical comedy, "A Night's Adventure" at London's Olympic Theatre in 1851, but this did not catch on, and he remained for several more years in the provinces, acting and continuing with play writing and writing for newspapers. In 1860, he moved to London and worked as an editor, also writing a novel, later dramatised under the title "Shadow Tree Shaft". He also wrote a farce entitled "A Cantab", which was played at the Royal Strand Theatre in 1861. This brought him a reputation among a Bohemian clique of writers, the "Fun" magazine gang (including W. S. Gilbert, Tom Hood, Clement Scott, and F. C. Burnand), but so little profit that he thought of abandoning the profession to become a tobacconist. Finally, in 1864, he had his first notable playwriting success, "David Garrick", produced at the Haymarket Theatre with Edward Sothern in the title role. Robertson also wrote the libretto to the 1865 comic opera "Constance", with music by Frederic Clay.

Robertson found fame in 1865 with the production under the management of Squire Bancroft and his wife Marie (nee Wilton) at the Prince of Wales's Theatre in the West End of his comedy "Society", which included a scene that fictionalized the "Fun" gang, who frequented the Arundel Club, the Savage Club, and especially Evans's café, where they had a table in competition with the "Punch" 'Round table'. [ [http://journals.mup.man.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pdfdisp//MUPpdf/NCTF/V30I2/300001.pdf Information about the bohemian round tables] ] This play became regarded as a milestone in Victorian drama because of its realism in sets, costume, acting and dialogue.

All of Robertson's popular plays, except for "David Garrick", were produced by the Bancrofts at the Prince of Wales's Theatre. Other Robertson successes included the domestic dramas "Ours" (1866), "Caste" (1867), "Play" (1868), "School" (1869), and "M.P." (1870). He also wrote "Dreams" for the Gaiety Theatre, London, which opened that new theatre in 1868 together with Gilbert's "Robert the Devil". His last play, "War", was produced at the St. James's Theatre in 1871, the year in which he died at the age of 42. Robertson's plays are still occasionally seen. For example, "Ours" was given a professional production in July 2007 at the Finborough Theatre, London. [ [http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/archive/2007/ours.htm Information about the 2007 production of "Ours" at the Finborough Theatre] ]

Innovations in realism and directing

Robertson's plays became known as 'problem plays', because they dealt seriously and sensitively with issues of the day. In the 1850s and 1860s, Robertson's plays, both in style and substance, were considered revolutionary. "Caste" was about marriage across the class barrier and explored prejudices towards social climbing. [http://www.peopleplayuk.org.uk/guided_tours/drama_tour/19th_century/cup.php "Cup and Saucer"] (PeoplePlay UK)] [Culme, John. [http://members.tripod.com/FootlightNotes/index.html Information about "Caste", especially the 1910 revival.] Footlight Notes, No. 315, 27 September 2003] These plays were notable for their "cup and saucer" realism, treating contemporary British subjects in settings that were realistic, unlike the oversize acting in Victorian melodramas that were popular at the time. [http://faculty.winthrop.edu/vorderbruegg/winthropweb/vitaindex/gilbert.html Vorder Bruegge, Andrew "W. S. Gilbert: Antiquarian Authenticity and Artistic Autocracy" (Associate Professor, Department Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance, Winthrop University). Professor Vorder Bruegge presented this paper at the Victorian Interdisciplinary Studies Association of the Western United States annual conference in October 2002] , accessed March 26, 2008] For example, whereas previously a designer would put as many chairs into a dining room scene as there were actors who needed to sit down, Robertson would place on stage as many chairs as would realistically be found in that dining room, even if some were never actually used. Or, if someone came in from a blizzard, snow would blow in from the doorway. In "Ours", a pudding was made on stage, and this caused a major furor – people were not used to seeing such realistic tasks in a stage setting. Also, the characters spoke in normal language and dealt with ordinary situations rather than declaiming their lines.

In addition, the importance of everyday incidents, the revealing of character through apparent "small talk", and the idea that what is not said in the dialogue is as important as what is said are all Robertson trademarks. Some critics wrote that there was nothing in Robertson's plays but commonplace life represented without a trace of wit and sparkle, but many admired the new style of play and new style of acting. George Bernard Shaw called Robertson's play "Caste" "epoch making" and referred to Robertson's innovations as a "theatrical revolution". It is now disputed whether Robertson really originated some of his innovations, but "Society" and its successors were viewed at the time as something new and, in a quiet way, revolutionary.

The Bancrofts, impressed with Robertson's dedication and skill, gave Robertson unusual artistic freedom to control his scripts and direct (or as it was then called, "stage manage") his plays. Before Robertson and James Robinson Planché, star actors generally had control of scripts, and theatre managers had control of casting in the theatre. Robertson insisted on retaining control over his scripts and casting and required that his actors follow his directions - a novel concept at that time. Robertson directed his own plays and aimed to get rid of the unreal stylisation and bombast of the old melodramas. He did not act in his plays but instead took on the role of a professional director to control the action on stage. W. S. Gilbert attended Robertson's rehearsals to learn from the older playwright's use of "stagecraft" and personally directed his own plays and operas based on what he had learned. These pioneers opened the way for later proponents of realism in drama, such as Shaw, and for modern methods of play production. Robertson was also a leader in requiring a fee from his managers for every performance of his plays, thus pioneering the modern royalty system.

Notes

References

*Tydeman, William Ed. "Plays by Tom Robertson" 1982 ISBN 0-521-23386-0
*"Principal Dramatic Works of Robertson"; with Memoir by his son. London, 1889
*Pemberton, T. Edgar. "The Life and Writings of T. W. Robertson". London: Richard Bentley and Son, 1893.
*Savin, Maynard. "Thomas William Robertson: His Plays and Stagecraft". Providence: Brown UP, 1950.
*Durbach, Errol. "Remembering Tom Robertson (1829-1871)", "Educational Theatre Journal", Vol. 24, No. 3 (Oct., 1972), pp. 284-288.
*Bancroft, Squire and Marie. "The Bancrofts: Recollections of Sixty Years" (Dutton and Co.: London, 1909)
* [http://www.peopleplayuk.org.uk/guided_tours/drama_tour/19th_century/cup.php Article on Robertson and the Bancrofts from the People Play website]
*Post-mortem profile in "The Illustrated London News", dated February 25, 1871.

External links

* [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Thomas_William_Robertson 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica entry]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=8811 Broadway credits]
* [http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ajcrowth/wsglife.htm Biography of Gilbert that includes info on Robertson]
* [http://theatre.msu.edu/images/ta/Robertson_ThomasWilliam-001.jpgPhoto of Robertson]
* [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?parent_id=510219&word= Photos of "David Garrick" by Robertson]
* [http://herbergeronline.asu.edu/the504/notes/504Realism.html Article on realism, naming Robertson as a proponent]
* [http://journals.mup.man.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pdfdisp//MUPpdf/NCTF/V30I2/300001.pdf Schoch, Richard, "Performing Bohemia" (2004)]
* [http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/archive/2007/ours.htm Details of the London production of"Ours" in 2007]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thomas William Robertson — (* 9. Januar 1829 in Newark on Trent; † 3. Februar 1871) war ein englisch irischer Dramatiker und Bühnenregisseur. Leben und Werk Robertson war der älteste Sohn des Schauspielers und Managers William Robertson …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas William Robertson — (né le 9 janvier 1829 à Newark on Trent dans le Nottinghamshire et décédé le 3 février 1871 à Londres) était un dramaturge anglais …   Wikipédia en Français

  • William Robertson (disambiguation) — William Robertson or Bill Robertson is a name also shared by the following individuals:Public officials*William Robertson (politician) (ca. 1760 ndash;1806), Scottish immigrant who became prominent in Upper Canada business and politics *William J …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas Boling Robertson — Thomas B. Robertson Thomas Bolling Robertson (* 27. Februar 1775 in Petersburg, Virginia; † 5. Oktober 1828 in White Sulphur Springs, Virginia) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und von 1820 bis 1824 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas B. Robertson — Thomas Bolling Robertson (* 27. Februar 1775 in Petersburg, Virginia; † 5. Oktober 1828 in White Sulphur Springs, Virginia) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und von 1820 bis 1824 Gouverneur des Bundesstaate …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas B. Robertson — Thomas Bolling Robertson, né le 27 février 1779 à Petersburg en Virginie et mort le 5 octobre 1828 en Virginie Occidentale, est un membre de la Chambre des représentants des États Unis, un gouverneur de Louisiane et un procureur général. En 1806 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thomas B. Robertson — Infobox Governor order = 3rd office = Governor of Louisiana term start = 1820 term end = 1824 lieutenant = none predecessor = Jacques Villeré successor = Henry S. Thibodaux birth date = birth date|1779|2|27|mf=y birth place = Petersburg, Virginia …   Wikipedia

  • William Robertson Smith — (8 November, 1846 – 31 March, 1894) was a Scottish orientalist, Old Testament scholar, professor of divinity, and minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He was an editor of the Encyclopædia Britannica . He is also known for his book Religion of …   Wikipedia

  • William Robertson Nicoll — Sir William Robertson Nicoll CH (October 10, 1851 ndash;May 4, 1923) was a Scottish Free Church minister, journalist, editor, and man of letters.Nicoll was born in Lumsden, Aberdeenshire, the son of a Free Church minister. He was educated at… …   Wikipedia

  • Robertson, Thomas William — ▪ British playwright born Jan. 9, 1829, Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire, Eng. died Feb. 3, 1871, London       British playwright whose realistic social comedies and pioneering work as a producer director helped establish the late 19th century… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”