Adam James Smith

Although critics have praised the performances in Savage House, the film itself has received a frosty reception. Tim Robey in the Telegraph described its “putrid stylings” as making it “impossible to enjoy”, dismissing it as a “rancid” and “rotten” period drama. Yet this allegedly “lowbrow” film captures the spirit of 18th-century culture more effectively than many glossy period dramas. Savage House seems outrageous because we have forgotten how outrageous the 18th century could be.

In the world of Bridgerton everyone reads the scandalous gossip columns of Lady Whistledown. That Lady Whistedown’s acid pen belongs to none other than the ever-polite Penelope Featherington proved a shocking twist, but not one without historical precedent. The history of 18th-century print is littered with striking instances in which women, like Featherington, used cheap print – such as magazines and periodicals – to deliver stunning satirical blows to the male-dominated status quo.