Love of the theatre began at an early age for John Westland Marston (1819 90), and developed into his life's work as a playwright, critic and literary figure of the Victorian era. He fell out of fashion and into poverty in the last years of his life, though Irving and other friends helped with a gala benefit performance of his most famous play. This two-volume work, published in 1888, is a tribute to the actors, plays and performances of his youth. Victorian dramatic works ranged through a variety of styles and genres, and Marston's recollections cover the wide area of theatrical culture in...