Child labor greatly contributed to the cultural and economic success of the British Victorian theatrical industry. This book highlights the complexities of the battle for child labor laws, the arguments for the needs of the theatre industry, and the weight of opposition that confronted any attempt to control employers.

Autorentext

Dyan Colclough is Associate Lecturer in the Department of History, Politics, and Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Zusammenfassung
"The Victorian preoccupation with childhood fed a desire to see children perform. Quick to respond, theatrical entrepreneurs recruited thousands of girls and boys to work in the industry. Although exploited, beguiled by wages and the possibility of fame, children coveted the opportunities the stage offered. This book tells their story"--

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