In this episode, we look at the artistic side of Covent Garden.
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Royal Opera House
,
Covent Garden
,
London
Black Swans
Written by
Viel
Richardson
Performed by
Jasmine
Elcock
Delve Deeper
Find out more about Ballet Black.
About this story
Cassa Pancho, who lead a diversity revolution in British ballet by creating the Ballet Black company in 2001, meets Michelle Obama at a performance during a G20 Summit in London in 2009.
Lyceum Theatre
,
Wellington Street
,
London
Theatre of Blood
Written by
Becky
Stamp
Performed by
Stephen
Fry
Delve Deeper
Read Dracula by Bram Stoker. First published in 1897 Read the full poem Henry Irving read in this story.
About this story
Bram Stoker worked for the charismatic actor and theatre manager Henry Irving in the 1890s. In gothic style, Becky Stamp considers how Irving’s overbearing presence inspired the character of Count Dracula.
Henrietta Street
,
London
Jane Austen Sees a Portrait
Written by
Sarah
Fleming
Performed by
Kate
Reid
Delve Deeper
Several scholars write about speculation that Mrs Quentin (known as Georgina and sometimes Harriet) was the inspiration for Jane Bennet.
Jocelyn Harris’s book Satire, Celebrity, & Politics in Jane Austen (Bucknell University Press, 2017) is a great starting point for more information on this story. As well as Mrs Quentin, Harris also suggests another of George IVs mistresses as a possible reference for Jane Bennet.
There are many reviews of the book online too.
You can find the William Blake etching of Georgina (also known as Harriet) Quentin in the British Museum.
Read about Georgiana/Harriet Quentin in Memoirs of the Life of the Celebrated Mrs Q.
Read Jane’s letter to Cassandra (24 May 1815, letter No:44 or XLIV) at eg gutenberg.com or pemberley.com
About this story
Jane Austen may have based the looks of heroine Elizabeth Bennet’s sister Jane in her novel Pride and Prejudice on those of a courtesan, Georgina Quentin. Quentin became the mistress of the future King George IV in 1813
