ABSTRACT
Nineteenth-century female dramatists often had to resort to theatrical hybrid forms and transgeneric modes in order to avoid public censorship and denunciation. In this context, Carstairs’ playlet, The Hubble-Shue, disruptively mixing comedic, farcical and satirical elements, provides a paradigmatic example. This chapter will aim to show why this apparently ludicrous experiment, questioning the conventional distinction between closet and staged drama with its inconsequential speeches, a rambling storyline, surreal paraphernalia and metatheatricality, deserves more critical attention than it has so far received.
