Cacophonous, overcrowded and host to productions varying wildly in style and quality, the playhouses frequented by Charles Dickens during the golden age of Victorian theatre mirrored the society that they amused, dazzled and lampooned. Dickens’ burning passion for theatre has often been overlooked by fans of his novels. He was a poor playwright and a frustrated actor, but he staged performances for which he oversaw every detail, and personally works. As a consummate self-publicist, he also undertook numerous stage tours and public readings of his own work. For Dickens, and for large swathes of Victorian society, theatre was a hub of community and a great leveller: audience and performers would spill out onto the streets and into nearby drinking establishments after each show. This collection is a compelling and representative snapshot of Victorian theatre from one of the age’s greatest storytellers. On Theatre draws on a variety of sources, both fictional and journalistic.