Restoration Theatre

ADA4MFebruary 6, 2013

Monarchs and Their Fancy Titles

• Elizabeth I: Elizabethan period– 1558-1603

• James I: Jacobean period– 1603-1625

• Charles I & II: Carolinian period– 1625-1649– 1660-1685

Remember…

• After the enormous success of Renaissance theatre (Shakespeare’s time), the theatres were closed in 1642 by Puritans.

Why?

Civil War

• English Civil War: 1642-1649/51• Parliamentarians vs. Royalists• Parliamentarians: wanted a government with

all the power in the parliament• Royalists: Supported King Charles I (and later

Charles II), wanted England to remain a monarchy

Events of the War

• War begins in 1642. Puritans (on the Parliamentarian side) close theatres (and many other forms of entertainment)

• Struggle and strife for many years• 1649: Charles I loses the war. He

is captured.– First time a King is tried at court– Convicted of high treason– Executed

So, the king is dead…

• Oliver Cromwell runs the Parliament and leads Britain as a republic (a nation without a king)

• Cromwell dies, his son takes over• Meanwhile, Scotland is not so happy with things…• More conflict between the two sides, eventually

Charles II declared the rightful king of England• 1660: Monarchy restored (hence Restoration

period)

Because they could…

• When the Royalists returned, they wanted to show off their success to the Parliamentarians

• Oliver Cromwell’s body dug up and beheaded, and his head put on a spike

Weren’t We Talking About Theatre?

• Charles II restored a more lavish lifestyle, brought back celebration, opulence, and fashion as central parts of the upper class’s lives

• Licensed 2 acting companies• Changed laws about who was

allowed to act

The Royal Theatres

• Elaborate stages with royal patents (e.g. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, designed by Christopher Wren)

• Moveable scenery, machines for “high-tech” special effects (e.g. lightning, waves)

The Audience

• Much like in the Renaissance, Restoration audience were composed of all sorts: upper classes, their servants, and the middle class– Note: there is a middle class now!

• Samuel Pepys’ diary: famousdiary of a man who recordedhis experiences at the time, often wrote about attendingthe theatre

The Actors

• Actors become celebrities• Women are allowed on stage!– First female actors and playwrights

• “Breeches roles”: women dressed in men’s clothing, either to hide or to do things that girls weren’t allowed to do– Theatre as a form of liberation for women

Important Actors

Nell Gwynn• One of the first female actors• Charles II’s mistress; had 2 sons

Edward (Ned) Kynaston• Used to be a boy player in girls’ roles• Called the “prettiest woman” and

“handsomest man” by Samuel Pepys• Women would take him around town• Rumors that he often went out in his

women’s clothing

The Plays

• Sexually explicit: dirty jokes and suggestive scenes– More scandalous now that there are real women!

• Busy plays with many characters• “Comedy of manners”: makes fun of upper

class– Plot often about scandal, but plot is less important

than clever dialogue and jokes (often double-entendres)

The Importance of Being Earnest

• NOT a Restoration play (it’s Victorian), but a good example of a comedy of manners:

• Title: Ernest/earnest pun• Sample dialogue:“I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. Butthere is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. Oneusually is, I believe. Then the excitement is over. The very essence of romance isuncertainty. If I ever get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.”

“Well, I must say, Algernon, that I think it is high time that Mr. Bunbury made up hismind whether he was going to live or die. This shilly-shallying with the question isabsurd. Nor do I in any way approve of the modern sympathy with invalids. I consider itmorbid. Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others.”

Stock Characters

• Fop: a silly man who is too focused on his appearance, makes attempts to seem especially intellectual but is usually foolish

Modern Fops

Stock Characters

• Rake: an immoral, promiscuous man who usually comes from a wealthy background and spends too much money on drink, gambling, and women

Modern Rakes

Journal

• If you could go back in time to one of the theatre periods we have studied, which would you choose and why? (English Renaissance, Commedia dell’Arte, Noh, Restoration)

• Remember: Study for midterm (Tuesday, February 11)