ABSTRACT
The world of the Theatre was an amusing one in the 'nineties and nineteen hundreds. Every actor of note had his own theatre, and entertained lavishly. Whilst Ella Hepworth Dixon's retrospective description, like much in her memoirs, may sound rather flippant and predictably partial, it encapsulates many essential elements of the late Victorian and early Edwardian theatre world. If one considers the general social and political climate of the Edwardian era as well as the narrower context within which the play was performed, what might at first sight appear as mere dabbling in amateur dramatics could conceal less superficial, more important motivations. The actual context of the production of The Toyshop of the Heart was typical of its time when there were many one-act plays, many short runs, many matinees, and many charity performances.
