Comedy, Christianity and Melodramatic Affect: The Sorrows of Satan at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Issue 1 (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Waters, Leanne
• Is Part Of: Nineteenth century theatre and film. Volume 48:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 66
• Page End: 85
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: Melodrama -- late-Victorian theatre -- Christianity -- comedy -- adaptation -- bestsellers -- affect; Performing arts -- History -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Performing arts -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Performing arts -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Theater -- History -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Theater -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Theater and society -- Periodicals; Drama -- History and criticism -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Silent films -- History and criticism -- Periodicals; 306.48409034
• DOI: 10.1177/17483727211006839
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1748-3727

Abstract

This article examines Paul M. Berton and Herbert Woodgate's 1897 melodrama, The Sorrows of Satan, which opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. The play was adapted from Marie Corelli's bestselling novel of the same name (1895). In this article, I show how the stage production injected comedy into Corelli's story, while maintaining and perhaps even amplifying its didactic Christianity. In exploring the techniques of the Berton and Woodgate play, and tracking the production's critical reception, we can see that late-Victorian religious melodrama was both affectively and visually powerful, as well as capable of considerable nuance.