‘Theatronomics: the business of theatre, 1732-1809′
The beta web resource from the ‘Theatronomics: the business of theatre, 1732-1809’ project is now available: https://www.theatronomics.com/
The website presents the extant financial records of the Theatres Royal Covent Garden and Drury Lane, 1732-1809, when the theatres were managed by figures such as David Garrick, Thomas Harris, and Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The resource holds a considerable amount of data: there are ~27,000 items of income and ~158,000 items of expenditure documented and categorised, amounting to about ~£7.3m of financial transactions (~£3.97m in income, ~£3.37m in expenditure). There are also ancillary financial data which have not been incorporated into the main resource but are available for consultation. To better relate the income and expenditure to the daily business of theatre, we document 29,310 Events at the theatre (i.e. evenings of dramatic entertainment) incorporating ~76,000 performances of ~3500 dramatic works. The world of our database is populated by ~6000 people.
Performance revenues are mapped against the repertory so that users can get a sense of how successful individual plays were; discover the works with which they were paired; see in which theatre they were performed and how many times; and other information of interest. See, for example, Sheridan’s Pizarro: https://data.theatronomics.com/plays/3516
Users will also find profiles of the leading theatrical figures of the period, including documentation of their benefit night earnings and other financial transactions between them and the theatres. See, for example, Sarah Siddons https://data.theatronomics.com/people/5190 and Elizabeth Inchbald https://data.theatronomics.com/people/623
Users can also use ‘The Calendar’ function to get a detailed snapshot of performance and financial activity for any date https://data.theatronomics.com/this-day/1800-12-13?theatre=DL
Users are advised to consult the editorial apparatus. The site is a beta resource and feedback is welcome with a view to an update in 6-12 months.
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David O’Shaughnessy
Professor of Eighteenth-Century Studies
School of English, Media & Creative Arts
University of Galway