Abstract
Following a five-year provincial tour, the popular actor-comedian Charles Collette acquired the lease of the Torquay Theatre Royal in August 1885 only to be declared bankrupt little more than one year later. This paper examines the circumstances surrounding his failure as a model case for analysing insolvency in the Victorian theatre, set against the backdrop of the changes in legislation that characterise the period. This study also emphasises that for the correct historical understanding and interpretation of theatrical insolvency and its complex relationships, a methodology and theoretical framework is essential.
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