ABSTRACT
The disregard of Gothic drama exemplified by Wood's critique perplexingly contrasts with the undeniable popularity of the plays themselves, confirmed by the high number of their performances. Gothic dramatic adaptations, of which James Boaden's work provides a good specimen, are studied in relation to their novelistic antecedents. Only very recently have they been included in low-priced collections of Romantic and Gothic texts or collected in paperback anthologies – thus signifying their upcoming incorporation into the mainstream Gothic canon and possibly their future inclusion in university syllabi. In her ground-breaking assessment of English theatre in the years 1760–1800, Paula Backscheider has rightly noted that off- and on-stage Gothic narratives show the same structure of feeling, as well as sharing stock characters, codified settings and highly stylized plots. The Gothic plays are also analysed as self-contained dramatic works, which were acted, often with great success, and can thus be considered as reflective of popular judgement, dramatic constraints and contemporary discursive practices.
