In 1826 London’s theatrical elites were shocked when the American Impresario STEPHEN PRICE had the temerity to take control of THE THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE, long venerated as the ‘HOME OF THE NATIONAL DRAMA’
These NOTES contain material and observations taken largely from research notes collected in the course of writing my book two previous books respectively entitled Drury Lane Drama Factory: Stephen Price, Yankee Impresario, and A Life in the Georgian Theatre: George Yarnold Comedian: 1814-1847 published by Blurb in 2016 and 2021. The effect of Price’s bold stroke was to unify the two most important theatres on both sides of the Atlantic under one management, and importantly to allow Stephen Price and his NY partners to exploit the ‘MIGRATION CRAZE’ by which masses of British actors of all ranks who sought better prospects in America, and soon dominated the American stage from NY to New Orleans and San Francisco.