The Orient on the Victorian Stage

Edward Ziter explores the impact of the Middle East and the Orient (as it was known) on writing and performance in nineteenth-century British theater and how these portrayals influenced public perception of the region. British audiences marvelled at depictions of desert storms and harem dances as well as scenes of the Nile and colonial armies throughout the nineteenth century. Ziter extends his study from the Romantic through to the late-Victorian period including taking in melodrama pantomime ballet and opera as well as museum displays and exhibitions.