Victor: History of the Theatres of London and Dublin

Victor. History of the Theatres of London and Dublin. Title page.

Victor. History of the Theatres of London and Dublin. Title page.

Victor. History of the Theatres of London and Dublin. Title page.

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Benjamin Victor (1700-1778) apprenticed as a barber and peruke maker in London. However, he had a strong attraction to the theatre from an early age. After spending time running an Irish linen business in Pall Mall he moved to Dublin in 1746, where he become treasurer and deputy manager of the Theatre Royal in Smock Alley. Victor had ambitions as both a poet and dramatist and in 1755 he was appointed "Poet Laureate" of Ireland by the Duke of Dorset (to whom these volumes are dedicated). He returned to London in 1759 where he worked as treasurer of Theatre Royal in Drury Lane until his death in 1778.

In 1961 he published The History of the Theatres of London and Dublin from 1730 to the present times in two volumes. The work includes an annual register of all plays at the Theatres Royal in London from 1712 until the year of publication. While the work does not offer a comprehensive account of the subject matter it is still recognised as a useful and informative text, particularly for its anecdotes of actors.