Harlequin Britain: Pantomime and Entertainment, 1690–1760 by John O’Brien (review)

332 The closing chapters lack the original insights of the provocative previous chapters. They do, however, support Ms. Harvey’s larger thesis that eighteenthcentury erotica must be read as a distinct, masculinist genre. Incisive, persuasive, and refreshingly lucid, Reading Sex in the Eighteenth Century will be essential reading for anyone interested in erotica, masculinity, and women’s history in the eighteenth century. Caroline Breashears St. Lawrence University JOHN O’BRIEN. Harlequin Britain: Pantomime and Entertainment, 1690–1760. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins. 2004. Pp. 274. $49.95. Mr. O’Brien posits that the rise of pantomime in the eighteenth century signaled to the audience, ‘‘a new kind of public performance, one that challenged existing assumptions about the relationship between high and low cultures, the word and the body, the theater and society .’’ Harlequin Britain is divided into three sections. The first four chapters discuss the history and significance of pantomime; the last three chapters focus on pantomime during the 1720s and 1730s, and the implications of the genre ’s growing popularity. Between the two sections is a chapter called ‘‘Entr’acte,’’ where Mr. O’Brien speculates on the significance of the Harlequin figure’s black mask. The main thrust of Mr. O’Brien’s argument hinges on one intriguing concept : that pantomime’s popularity and criticism is based on the genre’s universality . The historical, social, and political situation of the eighteenth century paved the way for pantomime to become the equivalent of a modern day ‘‘fad.’’ Pantomimes were generally divided into two sections. The first was ‘‘serious,’’frequently a retelling of a story from classical mythology; the second, ‘‘comic’’or ‘‘grotesque.’’ Many critics of the English stage bemoaned what they saw as the deplorable state of Restoration drama (particularly comedy). The pantomime, with a focus on classical texts, served as an answer to those critics. It had a democratizing effect, because of ‘‘the intention of such performances to bring Greek mythology to a broader constituency than the comparatively small number of elite males who had had the benefit of a classical education.’’ As a result, the pantomime also uplifted the stage by being a cost effective way to reinforce neoclassicism . Those not interested in further enlightenment were well served by the comic section. Mr. O’Brien argues that the democratizing effect of the pantomime was also the source of criticism. The pantomime was accused of ‘‘genre mixing’’— neoclassicism dictated that comedy and tragedy be kept separate. As a threat to serious drama, pantomime had comic sections that focused on members of the lower classes, instead of restricting their story lines to the subplot. This bold practice , Mr. O’Brien suggests, contributed to the rowdiness of footmen and servants at the theater. He argues that the relative disintegration of the criticism and full integration of pantomime into popular culture were results of Garrick’s innovations . Garrick scheduled most pantomimes to be performed during the Christmas season, and he introduced a Harlequin who spoke. Though expressing disgust for pure pantomime, Garrick assimilated several conventions of it into his mainstream productions. In a fascinating chapter, Mr. O’Brien plausibly explains the significance of Harlequin’s black face. In the early eighteenth century, there was no link in the 333 minds of the people between skin color and race. As a result, the black mask in the early pantomimes could symbolize the devil, or a person ruled by black bile, or even an erasure of humanity altogether . In the later eighteenth century, black skin became more associated with Africans , and Garrick’s Harlequin’s Invasion (1759) was the first pantomime explicitly to make the connection. This well argued text on pantomime offers a fascinating investigation of a subgenre of British theater. Elisabeth Heard St. Louis University GILLIAN WAGNER. Thomas Coram, Gent. 1668–1751. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell, 2004. Pp. x ⫹ 218. $39.95. Ms. Wagner’s well written book is, surprisingly, the first modern biography of Thomas Coram, who is probably best known for his efforts to establish the London Foundling Hospital, which provided care for illegitimate and abandoned children. Like an epic novel, Coram’s long life is full of triumphs and disappointments. From humble beginnings —Coram was sent to sea by his widowed father...