Staging the Old Faith

Reviews / Votes

'In this energetically argued and imaginatively illustrated book Rebecca Bailey examines the interplay of religion, politics and theatre in the England of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. Her study explores in unprecedented depth and with rich archival contextualisation the 'fears and hopes' of the English recusant community following the arrival of the French Catholic queen consort.'
Sophie Tomlinson, Literature & History, Vol. 19, No. 2 (October 2010)

'In six tightly argued chapters Bailey sets out the case for Henrietta Maria's effectiveness, directly and indirectly, in pursuing her religious goals. While paying some attention to the Caroline masques, the main thrust of the argument is centred on plays [...]no future discussion of Caroline drama, particularly that of Shirley and of the 1630s, should ignore this finely written and innovative study.'
Kenneth Richards, University of Manchester, Theatre Research International, Vol. 35, No. 2 (July 2010)

'Rebecca Bailey's reading of Henrietta Maria's Catholic influence on Caroline public and court drama complements rather than contradicts earlier work on patronage, faction, and the intricate political negotiations refracted in the drama of the 1630s initiated by Martin Butler. At the same time, it extends the studies by Erica Veevers, Sophie Tomlinson, and Karen Britland of the Queen's role in the Caroline court and the translation of its feminocentric culture into play and masque. One of the strengths of this work is Bailey's detailed and nuanced exploration, through corres - pondence and reading matter, of the identities of the English Catholic community in the decades leading to the civil wars. As such, not only does Staging the Old Faith expand the range of meaning of Caroline drama, it offers the historian fresh in - sights into the religious dynamics of court culture.'
Janet Clare, New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 3 (August 2011) -- .