Book contents
- Front Matter
- Contents
- General Editor’s introduction
- Notes on the authors / Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 British heroism and the structure of melodrama
- 2 Staging the Irishman
- 3 Melodrama, realism and empire on the British stage
- 4 Staging British India
- 5 Mock blacks and racial mockery: The ‘nigger’ minstrel and British imperialism
- Bibliography
- Index
4 - Staging British India
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 July 2026
Book contents
- Front Matter
- Contents
- General Editor’s introduction
- Notes on the authors / Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 British heroism and the structure of melodrama
- 2 Staging the Irishman
- 3 Melodrama, realism and empire on the British stage
- 4 Staging British India
- 5 Mock blacks and racial mockery: The ‘nigger’ minstrel and British imperialism
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
India was unique in the British experience of Empire, not just because of the scale of the enterprise or the importance of India to the British economy but also because the British consciously felt that they were inheriting an imperial mantle. The Empire of India Exhibition, with its repeat performance as the Empire of India and Ceylon Exhibition, was different from previous exhibitions in Britain or Europe in that it was the creation of a showman, Imre Kiralfy. Exhibitions with an accompanying spectacle representation were held every year at Earl's Court from 1895 to 1908 by the Kiralfy management company, London Exhibitions Ltd. By the time of the London Exhibition eleven years later, the new imperial importance of India was reflected in the fact that Indian exhibits occupied a quarter of the colonial display space.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Acts of supremacyThe British Empire and the stage, 1790–1930, pp. 150 - 178Publisher: Manchester University PressFirst published in: 2026
Accessibility standard: Unknown
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this chapter is currently unknown
and may be updated in the future.