A reconstruction of the visual spectacle in John Rich's pantomime "The necromancer, or, Harlequin Doctor Faustus" (1723)
Date
2001
Authors
Anderson, Mark Edward
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
On December 20, 1723, John Rich premiered the pantomime The Necromancer; or Harlequin Doctor Faustus at Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre. Produced in opposition to John Thurmond's spectacular afterpiece Harlequin Doctor Faustus at Drury Lane, The Necromancer dominated the 1723-24 season and emerged as the most popular and financially successful pantomime of its time. It played a crucial role in both the career of John Rich and the rivalry between the two patent London playhouses. Yet, despite the existence of several detailed descriptions, a reconstruction of this pantomime has never been attempted. Supported by textual evidence from two poems, Edward Ward's The Dancing Devils; or. The Roaring Dragon and Thomas Merrivale's The Necromancer, together with several contemporary visual sources, this thesis makes use of the anonymous account contained in An Exact Description of the Two Fam' d Entertainments of Harlequin Doctor Faustus ... and The Necromancer (T. Payne, 1724) to reconstruct the visual spectacle of The Necromancer.