English Restoration &
th
18 Century
King Charles II
1630-1685
Restoration Comedy
• A comedy of
manners
• Ridiculed human
failings
• Breaches of a
"sophisticated code
of manners"
• Established by the
courtiers of Charles
II
Ideal Gentleman
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Was well born
Well dressed
Poised and witty
Skilled in love making
Conduct several affairs simultaneously
Never boasted of his affairs
Always discreet
Never fell in love
Not jealous if his wife took a lover
Fashionable Young Lady
1. Familiar with the world of intrigue,
2. But did not become involved in it.
3. If she was a widow, she could take a
lover as long as she was not found
out
4. If she was married, she should not
expect constancy in her husband.
William Congreve
1670 - 1729
• Wrote 4 comedies
and 1 tragedy
• His masterpiece:
The Way of the
World (1700)
• Best example of
Restoration
Comedy
Way of the World
John Dryden
1631-1700
•
•
•
•
Primarily a poet
Critic
Translator
Playwright noted for
his Neo-Classic
Tragedies
• Major literary figure
of Restoration
England
All for Love
or “A World Well Lost”
1677
• Dryden’s most often revived work
• Based on Shakespeare’s Anthony and
Cleopatra
• He took Shakespeare's episodic tragedy,
and turned it into a small cast climactic
tragedy which observes the unity of time
and place.
Episodic to Climactic
• 15 years of dramatic time into one 24 hour
day.
• Large cast (30 men and 4 women) into a
smaller and more manageable cast (6
men and 4 women).
• Scenes in Rome and Egypt into one
location: in front of the Temple of Isis in
Aleixandre, Egypt
The Actor-Manager
• Acting company owned and controlled by
one man: the manager
• Usually was the leading actor
• Chose plays which best exhibited his
abilities
• Wife was often the leading lady
• Remainder of the company was hired
• Managed the theatre in which they
performed
David Garrick
1717-1779
• Actor with over 90
roles in his repertory
• Manager of Drury
Lane
• Playwright or
adapter
• Director and
designer
Women on the English Stage
• Were introduced during the Restoration
The Problems…
1. Acting was not socially acceptable
2. Few women roles in the standard
repertory
3. New works, especially Restoration
Comedy used more women
4. Women were often “retired” by their lover
after a short life on stage
Nell Gwynn
1650-1687
• Most popular comic
actress of the
period
• Performed for only
4 years: 1665-1669
• Was mistress of
King Charles
• Bore him two sons
• Was “retired” by
order of the King
Legitimate theatre
• Only two theatres in London permitted to
present full length dramas
• Also known as Royal and Patent Theatres
• After the Licensing Act of 1737, the two
legitimate houses were Covent Garden
and Drury Lane
• The monopoly lasted for 183 years, from
1660 to 1843.
Legitimate Theatre
Today:
Theatre of the spoken word
Minor Theatres
A London playhouse which could not
perform "regular" drama
They could present…
1. Short plays (two or three act)
2. Operas
3. Melodramas
4. Illustrated lectures
Restoration Stage
1660
• A proscenium theatre with a deep
forestage or apron
• Proscenium framed the scenery
• Actors performed on the forestage
• Entrances were made through doors on
the apron
• Auditorium held about 700
Cross Section of Drury Lane
1672
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Proscenium
Wings
Pit
Gallery
Boxes
Restoration Theatre
A Restoration Theatre
Richard Sheridan
1751-1816
• Playwright
remembered for his
Sentimental
Comedies
• Manager of Drury
Lane
• Member of Parliament
• Most important work:
The School for
Scandal (1777)
The School for Scandal
John Gay
1685-1732
• Poet and Playwright
• Wrote political satire
• Most important work:
The Beggar’s Opera
(1728)
• Was a Ballad Opera
• Ran for 62 consecutive
performances
• First long run
The Beggar’s Opera
W. Hogarth’s Painting (1728)
Ballad or Italian Opera
• Ballad Opera: Music is adapted from
popular folk songs or bar room tunes
• Italian opera: Original music is composed
for the production
Beginning of American Theatre
1752- English actor Lewis
Hallam (1714-1756)
establishes a theatre in
Williamsburg, PA
They also perform in…
1. New York, NY
2. Philadelphia, PA
3. Charleston , SC
Drury Lane
1794-1809
• Capacity: 3,600
• Stage: 85’ wide by 92’
deep
• Proscenium: 43’ wide by
38’ high
• Theatre was too large
for drama
18th Century – Restoration
Theatre
Drury Lane Burns
1809
Royal Drottningholm Theatre
Stockholm, Sweden
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•
•
•
Small court theatre
Built in 1766
Closed in 1792
Rediscovered in
1920
• Reopened in 1922
• Working example of
a 18th century court
theatre
Interior of the Drottningholm
Theatre