Charles Dibdin and his World

Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29, 2014

 

2014 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Charles Dibdin (1745-1814), perhaps the most versatile and talented actor, musician, playwright, and songwriter of the 18th and 19th centuries. Across his career Dibdin played the organ at St Bride’s in Fleet Street, collaborated with Isaac Bickerstaff on comic operas, acted at Drury Lane, Covent Garden and numerous other theatres throughout Britain, was director of music at Ranelagh Gardens, performed in blackface as Mungo in his opera The Padlock, translated French opera, opened his own theatre (twice), went to debtor’s prison, toured the country with a one man show, opened a publishing warehouse, wrote novels, memoirs, and a history of the English stage, published three music text books, and composed several thousand songs

 

This conference brings together leading experts and exciting new scholars in a workshop format to discuss pre-circulated papers about Charles Dibdin and his sons, who continued his legacy into the nineteenth century, as well as the world of performance and the literary culture of which they were so integral a part. 

 

The conference forms part of the King’s College London ERC-funded project Music in London, 1800-1851 in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame. Further details can be found on the conference website. 

 

This is a closed conference, that is not open to members of the public.