Addiction

The denotation of the term "addiction" has evolved a great deal across the ages. In ancient Rome, the term was appropriated to describe the formal sentencing or commitment of a person to his master, such as a debtor to a lender. Later, circa 1600s, it came to be used more innocuously to characterize a penchant, a fancy, or a devoted interest. For example, one might perhaps be "addicted" to knitting or gardening. As time and culture progressed, substances such as morphine, heroin, cocaine, and alcohol also fell among these penchants.

Notorious drunkards, hardly a new feature in the streets of London, appear in many a portrait of lower-class Victorian society and were said to be ailed by "alcoholic inebriety" or "dipsomania." Before advancements in physiology identified the development of a physical dependence in these individuals, they were historically written off as immoral and lacking self-restraint.  It wasn't until nearly 1852 that the familiar modern-day term "alcoholism" arose, mostly to the credit of Swedish physician Magnus Huss.

Opium, perhaps alcohol's more persuasive cousin and precursor to some of the aforementioned drugs, also played a starring role in both London's cultural theater and the global imperialist theater (regarding the Opium Wars with China). Literature and press from the mid-19th century depicts London's East End as home to so-called "opium dens," dark, secluded gathering places for communal indulgence in the many varieties and tinctures concocted from the "juice" of the poppy plant.

Factory Work

The population of London grew from 950,000 in 1800 to 6 million in 1900. After 1850 Chinese immigrants started settling in Limehouse. There were also many Irish immigrants in the Docklands. By 1850 London had 20,000 Jews. Their numbers doubled in the 1880's when many refugees arrived from Russia and Eastern Europe. The large number of workers made London a booming manufacturing center in the 19th century, but despite the booming industry, there was a great deal of severe poverty. Even at the end of the 19th century about 20% of the population were living at subsistence (bare survival) level. About 10% of the population were living below subsistence level because the abundant work force led to a feeble salary for factory jobs. Factory conditions were horrific, and workers were made to do hard and unpleasant work for little in return. They were cooped up in a heated atmosphere, debarred the necessary exercise, remaining in one position for a series of hours, one set or system of muscles alone called into activity. There was little to no regulation, so workers were severely exploited -- including many young children, who spent their entire adolescence doing one miserable assembly line job.

The Penny Dreadfuls

In the 1800’s a new type of literature became prevalent in Victorian Britain called a Penny Dreadful. They were mostly horrific fan fictions involving supernatural beings like vampires and werewolves that were published weekly and cost only a penny (hence its name). The topics in these narratives typically included sexual assault, poisoning, drowning, etc.

These literary works were targeted towards semi-literate young males as the stories usually included some masculine character. Many people, mostly the parents, became seemingly aware of its intent and tried to protect their young men from its violent content. Although with their effort many young men continued to get ahold of a copy and it proved to have a negative effect.  A rise in criminal activity was seen and it was primarily young men committing crimes ranging from stealing from family and friends to even killing. When they were investigated all of them were found to have had some contact with Penny Dreadfuls.

Class in London

By the mid-19^th century Britain was still, for the most part, ruled by an elite. Only small minorities of men were permitted to vote, and the upper class partially maintained its authority in this manner. Admittance into the upper class and positions of authority was largely based upon who one knew or who one was related to. The nature of the work of those in higher places was such that it held them in a powerful position giving authority, superior standards of living, and other resources which the other classes did not have access to. The class was mainly comprised of roles like aristocrats, nobles, dukes, viscounts, and other wealthy families working in the courts—and of course, royalty. In a time of social divide, with the huge lower class struggling through poor conditions of living, the upper class faced no such issues, and was mainly concerned with things like appearance, fashion (examples below), and etiquette.

Child Labor in the Industrial Era

Child labor was the norm in the rapidly industrializing 19th century London. It was the sad fact that most London families simply could not support themselves through the adult’s income alone, they needed the supplemental income of their children to sustains a semblance of a life. And what about the luxury of education? : "In 1840 perhaps only twenty percent of the children of London had any schooling”. A child like Toby actual was pretty lucky to have scored the job that he did, especially if we are to assume that belongs to the group of orphans coined “the abandoned children". The majority of the young children his age were working in coal mines, as chimney sweeps, or in factories under appalling conditions. That being said, even cushy job’s such as being a shop hand required 80 hour work weeks for only halfpence per hour (half a penny). These brutal conditions and expectations of a young child led to a multitude of health problems and shortened lives. Those who did live long enough to have children of their own often simply contented the vicious cycle until radical labor laws were passed later on.

Breeches Roles

DramaTech’s production of Sweeney Todd will feature several breeches roles. Originating in the mid-1600s during Shakespeare’s era, a breeches role is a role played by a woman depicting a male character. The demand for breeches roles increased as operas grew in popularity throughout the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth. Today, breeches roles can be spotted not only on Broadway but also on television and in movies. Common present breeches roles include Peter Pan from Peter Pan and our very own Pirelli from Sweeney Todd.  

Peter Pan was originally played by a woman, Sandy Duncan, in 1979: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XQgQKwHus8

Blood Pipe & Trough

I love both of the above spouts. The top one has a very factory made feel. Very much to the purpose without much fancy. The second one is a really wonderful throwback to pre-Industrial styles. It reminds me a bit of the Fleet Street Dragon seen in earlier images.

Some aged Iron pipes, I'd love a look like this for the blood troughs (obviously we would be seeing the inside, not the outside). 

Old iron grate. This could be great for our "step over" coverings. 

Pirelli's Cart

I love this look for Pirelli's cart - something small, mobile. Perhaps Pirelli has a small seat to sit on the back, just enough for him to make his travels and sale his wares about town. 

Meat Pies & Razor Blades

As you can see from the picture above, there's a large number of tools a Barber would use at the time. During this period they worked as barbers, dentists and doctors. The case below is a beautiful jewelry case that has the richness I would love to see in Sweeney's barber kit. It has the appearance of a very pricey gift, something given to him by family or wife as he started out in his trade.

The meat pies above are just some options to consider. They range from 'pot pies' to small flat pastries. I love how the juice is running off the edge of the second pie. 

The Poor & Destitute of London

It's likely that the majority of the destitute population of London in the 1840's and '50's stemmed from a staggering population growth in the early 19th century. Between 1840 and 1850 alone, the population grew by 23%. This caused obvious distress on the city of London itself as housing grew scarce and private residences became more and more valuable leading to gross amounts of people living on the streets and in slums in poor hygienic condition. The poor of 19th century London lived in overcrowded areas where their main source of drinking water often came from the ditches running through the streets. Starvation and disease were both leading factors in the death tolls of the destitute. British cities suffered outbreaks of cholera in 1831-32 and in 1848-49. The overwhelming attitude of the wealthy of the era often regarded the poor as being in the place that God put them;

(ex: a hymn published in 1848 by Cecil Frances Alexander:

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high and lowly,
And order’d their estate )


However, it was in the later 19th century that groups of people began to realize the poor conditions in which people were living, and so started a more philanthropic era of London society. In addition to this, the workhouses to which people fell back on when they lost their jobs became more humane as the century progressed.

Urban Decay

Some images of urban decay. I like these images because they have very muted colors overall. Particularly the two 'theaters' that are covered in a fine white layer of dust. However, because of these muted tones, some things really pop out, such as the red chair or the woman in the red dress.

The Executioner's Block

Today I've been looking at some images of the executioners block at the Tower of London. I find it fascinating, the simplicity that surrounds the execution process. The last two images are of the original executioners block and the memorial that now stands in its place. Just some food for thought.

The Lights on Fleet Street

I'd love for the atmosphere of Fleet Street to be shrouded in gas light. Slightly tonally shifted from natural lighting, gas lighting should coat each person with a sickly pallor. Below are three images, the most iconic stolen from the Excorcist, which captured a similarly eery tone on film.

You can read about gas lighting in theater here: http://www.compulite.com/stagelight/html/history-4/history-4-text.html

The Poor & Destitute

The ensemble of our players will make up the poor, the beggar class. Through oppression, men, like the Judge and the Beadle, have forced others into this class, people like Benjamin Barker, Lucy, and Mrs. Lovett. 

These people should be a part of the 'unwashed masses.' Often as a part of their oppression they have been abused and imprisoned, their infirmities often stretch beyond tattered clothes, and include physical ailments.

The Judge & The Beadle

The Judge and the Beadle represent the upper class, the oppressors of London. Before our play begins, these two men imprison and export Benjamin Barker to Australia. After he is shipped away, they plot to seduce and then rape his wife Lucy. The Judge leaves Lucy for dead and takes in her daughter, eventually coming to lust after her, as well. They exploit their power and position to hurt those with not strength to stop them.

I'd like their outfits to express their decadence, their lust, and their status. You'll see below that judges robes of the time were often red, I LOVE this. It seems decadent, not conservative, and red is a color often associated with violence and lust.

The Fleet Street Dragon

This is an incredible statue that haunts Fleet Street:

Fleet Street

I've spent some time looking at images of Fleet Street, the home of Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop & Sweeney Todd's tonsorial parlor. These are some beautiful examples of the architecture of the time.