Walking the tightrope of life: contracts, salaries and financial aid for British performers (1800-1870)

Abstract

Paola Degli Esposti’s essay investigates some aspects of the acting profession in Great Britain from 1800 to 1870, and specifically contractual terms, salaries and institutions providing performers with financial aid. The precariousness of actors’ salaries and the taxing conditions of contracts stand out as common features of the period. Their income and the large expenses they incur into are considered in a context in which salaries appear as uncertain and irregular, a condition to which the great power wielded by managers contributes significantly. The tools performers employ to compensate for such financial precariousness are also investigated, with particular reference to the British benefit system and the institutions providing assistance to actors in need.