The Stockton Axson Eighteenth-Century Drama Archive

British theater's long 18th century saw a resurgence in all the old staples of theater as well as the creation of new modes of theatrical expression after its forced stagnation during Cromwell's puritan regime. One of the new genre's was the ballad opera, a uniquely loose, commoner oriented genre that focused on humor and folk music. 

As with any genre, several performers, publishers, and playwrights found that their talents were uncommonly suited to this new form, giving rise to several careers heavily dependent on ballad opera. due to the youth of this from however, the unique characteristics of a few of the members of this niche influenced the development of ballad opera as a genre while ballad opera helped shape their careers and styles as performers, publishers, and playwrights.