1. Ballad
English stage entertainment
18th Century
Opera
The purposes of this project, ‘ballad opera’ are
In Greek Theatres men were the only people that were allowed defined as any British stage production from 1728 to
to act. However in Ballad Operas both women and men are 1760 that combines a comic or sentimental play with
allowed to take part. musical numbers.
The audiences were middle and top class, the age groups where just Adults, say in a
couple or a group. The children were at home with a babysitter as the Adults where
wealthy who went.
Ballad opera has been called an "eighteenth-century
protest against the Italian conquest of the London
operatic scene".
In a ballad Opera I would expect a group of Men and Women
singing and acting to an audience, however their singing won’t
be basic singing, the performers would be hitting high notes
and I would also expect traditional costumes to be worn and
allot of fighting and romantic scenes.
Michael McCauley

2. It is generally accepted that the first ballad opera, and
the one that was to prove the most successful, was The
Beggar's Opera of 1728.
Michael McCauley