Introduction

The years 1801 to 1808 saw the emergence of Leigh Hunt as a public figure on the London literary scene, first with the publication of his 1801 collection of poetry, Juvenilia, and then with his work as theater critic for the News between 1805 and 1807. This chapter argues in what follows that Hunt was the first major Romantic theater critic. Scholars have of course recognized the value of Hunt's dramatic criticism, although this recognition is primarily based on his reviews for the Examiner. Hunt's principal focus in Critical Essays is on actors, virtually to the exclusion of all other aspects of dramatic performance. Critical Essays make clear how different Hunt's style is from the standard criticism published in contemporary newspapers. Hunt's early theatrical criticism arguably marks the creation of a new kind of writing about theater, a broadening of drama criticism to include a closer attention to acting and a more serious interest in comedy.