10 The Theatre of the English Restoration (© Peter Guither)

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Elizabethan, Jacobean and Caroline Drama Elizabeth died 1603 King James died 1625 King Charles I

–Charles followed the Anglican High Church, wife was Catholic which both conflicted with Puritanism –Conflicts with Parliament, sought to rule without Parliament. –Cavaliers vs. Roundheads Sold royal jewels to fund foreign fighters –Charles I of England removed from the throne by Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans after a bitter civil war (1642–1649); Charles beheaded © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-5

Cavaliers vs. Roundheads © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-6

Civil War –1642 – Puritans took over Parliament –Theatre outlawed –New Model Army led by Cromwell –1649 Charles I beheaded –Cromwell defeats Charles II supporters from Scotland, Charles II and nobility exiled to France Exposed to French and Italian Theatre –Common Wealth –Oliver Cromwell – declares himself lord protector of England, dies1658 © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-7

Theatre During the Commonwealth 1642–1660, theatrical activity severely curtailed; playhouses were dismantled, actors were persecuted Some entertainments organized secretly Droll- short version of full plays popular during the period the theatres were closed, usually comedies William Davenant John Webb – Inigo Jones’ son-in-law © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-8

Siege of Rhodes © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-9

Siege of Rhodes Firsts First English Opera First production with moveable scenery in England First production in England with actresses © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-10

© 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Restoration In 1660, Charles II, who had been living in France, was invited by a newly elected Parliament to return from exile to rule England under a restored monarchy 1-11

Charles II Loved Theatre Loved to Party Loved Women Had an actress mistress Not a great king but did better than Charles I and James II © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-12

The Theatre of the Restoration Begins William Davenant (also spelled D'Avenant) and Thomas Killigrew –Emerged to take control of theatre –Both familiar with English theatrical tradition; would take English theatre in a new direction © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved (© National Portrait Gallery, London)

Davenant – Oxford grad, replaced Johnson as poet laureate, knighted 1643 Killigrew – dramatists, went with king in exile. Samuel Pepy’s called him a “merry droll”

Theatre Royals and Patents Charles II gave TWO patents William Davenant – Duke's Company Thomas Killigrew – Kings Company Gave two men duopoly over theatre in London Duke's company better managed Two companies merged in 1692 United Company

Restoration Drama and Tragedy Serious Drama Heroic Tragedy –Extraordinary characters doing extraordinary deeds –Love and Honor –Influenced by Spanish Golden Age plays Restoration Tragedy –Italian influence –Neoclassical Rules Three Unities, decorum, verisimilitude © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-16

Restoration Comedy –Comedies of Humor One trait overshadowing all others –Comedies of Intrigue Daring exploits of romance and adventure Complicated plots Aphra Behn –Comedies of Manners William Wycherley William Congreve Aphra Behn (Billy Rose Theatre Collection, New York Public Library at Lincoln Center, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations) William Wycherley (© National Portrait Gallery, London) 1-17

Old Plays Shakespeare, Marlowe, etc. Who owned these plays? Killigrew given rights to pre-Restoration plays, including Davenant's plays, later more fairly divided Not uncommon to rewrite Shakespeare according to neoclassical tastes Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending King Lear restored to thrown and Cordelia does not die

The Decline of Restoration Comedy William and Mary A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage – Jeremy Collier –Susanna Centlivre –George Farquhar © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Susanna Centlivre (Billy Rose Theatre Collection, New York Public Library at Lincoln Center, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations)

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Restoration Audiences Restoration theatregoers were quite spirited –Purchasing fruit for throwing from the “orange wenches” –Speaking back to the actors –Arranging assignations with each other –Attending the theatre to be seen, rather than to see the play © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-21

© 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Performers Actresses and Actors –Eleanor (Nell) Gwynn –Thomas Betterton –Anne Bracegirdle Acting Companies (Bettmann/Corbis) Nell Gwynn Meets King Charles II Anne Bracegirdle (Mander and Mitchenson/ ArenaPAL) 1-22

Women Aphra Behn Female Wits © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-23

Restoration Theatres Government and the Theatres Theatre Architecture in the Restoration Threads in Theatre History –The Drury Lane Theatre Scenery, Scene-Shifting Technology, Costumes, and Lighting © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved (© Historical Picture Archive/Corbis)

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© 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ground Plan of a Restoration Stage 1-27