Was Planche ever overtly critical of the government in his works?
No. While he was quite patriotic, even he was less pleased with the current administrations than his lack of jabs at British politics might suggest. Censorship was strong in those days, and anything which might be seen as encouraging disloyalty, even relatively mild criticisms, were not allowed on stage. (The office of the Licenser of Plays took their function seriously.) W.S. Gilbert, for instance, in “Happy Land” got into some degree of trouble for mocking living politicians in the years after Planche’s retirement. (One scene was ordered to be either cut from the play or rewritten entirely.) A playwright who did not comply with government demands might find his entire work being banned, although more often cuts and revisions could allow the play as a whole to be saved. Beyond this, Planche was simply a rather un-subversive person. He did not mind challenging hypocrisy or pretense, for instance, and openly admired those who did so successfully, but he was very aware of how emotional t
