Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Lyceum and Henry Irving
IT was my original intention in regard to this history to write a book, about half the size of the present volume, dealing chiefly with the period of Henry Irving's long connection with the theatre. The feeling of public sympathy for the great actor manager in reference to the closing of the play-house was so strongly expressed, that it occurred to me that the moment was appropriate for a record of his work during his occupation of the building which he has made celebrated for all time in the chronicles of the stage and in those of London. For the rest, I knew something of the Keeleys, of the Vestris management, of the Planche' extravaganzas, of the Fechter regime, of Charles Dillon and Marie Wilton at the Lyceum. But little else was familiar even to students of the stage like myself, and there was an air of obscurity over the whole thing. I consequently thought, at the outset, that a preliminary chapter or two would suffice for the completion of the history down to the year 1871, more especially as the other writers on the subject had dismissed the matter very brie?y. But on pursuing my researches, I was struck by the exceptional amount of interesting material which could be extracted from divers sources, and, encouraged by the publishers, who gave me a free hand in regard to Space and illustrations, I attempted the writing of an exhaustive history.
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