The Orient on the Victorian Stage

Edward Ziter explores the impact of the Middle East and the Orient, as it was then known, on writing and performance in nineteenth-century British theatre and in turn how these portrayals influenced public perception of the region. Throughout the nineteenth century British audiences marvelled at depictions of desert storms and harem dances as well as scenes of the Nile and colonial armies. Ziter extends his study from the Romantic period through to late-Victorian, taking in melodrama,...
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Edward Ziter explores the impact of the Middle East and the Orient, as it was then known, on writing and performance in nineteenth-century British theatre and in turn how these portrayals influenced public perception of the region. Throughout the nineteenth century British audiences marvelled at depictions of desert storms and harem dances as well as scenes of the Nile and colonial armies. Ziter extends his study from the Romantic period through to late-Victorian, taking in melodrama, pantomime, ballet, and opera, as well as museum dislays and exhibitions.