ABSTRACT
In 1895 Edmund Yates, the theatre critic of the influential Saturday Review, died, and in January 1895 Shaw was invited by Frank Harris to take his place. It was a watershed. At last Shaw had the sharp weapons in his hand to try to bring down the accepted ideas of Henry Irving’s Lyceum. Years later he wrote grandiloquently in the third person explaining his actions. Although, like the Pope, G.B.S. has been voted infallible, the diamond-glitter of his criticisms shows flaws. The soft brogue of his native tongue caused him to take The Colleen Bawn seriously. The Importance of Being Earnest he dismissed as humour adulterated by stock mechanical fun. Attacking censorship, he scoffed at the idea that if the stage were freed managers would immediately produce licentious plays and actresses would stop clothing themselves decently.
