Everything about The Patent Theatre totally explained
The
patent theatres were the
theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken
drama" after the
English Restoration of
Charles II in 1660. Other theatres were prohibited from performing such "serious" drama, but were permitted to show
comedy,
pantomime or
melodrama. Drama was also interspersed with singing or dancing, to prevent the whole being too serious or dramatic.
Public entertainments, such as theatrical performances, were banned under the
Puritan rule in the
English Commonwealth. After he was restored to the throne, Charles II issued
letters patent to
Thomas Killigrew and
William Davenant, granting them the
monopoly right to form two
London theatre companies to perform "serious" drama. The letters patent were reissued in 1662 with revisions allowing actresses to perform for the first time (Fisk 73). Killigrew established his company, the
King's Company at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1663; Davenant established his company, the
Duke's Company, in
Lisle's Tennis Court in
Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1661, later moving to
Dorset Garden in 1671.
After problems under the direction of Charles Killigrew, Thomas' son, the King's Company was taken over by its rival, the Duke's Company in 1682. The two companies merged and the combined "United Company" continued under
Thomas Betterton at Drury Lane. After some disagreements, Betterton obtained a license from
William III to form a new company at the old theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1695, which moved to the
Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in 1720 (now the
Royal Opera House). The two patent theatres closed in the summer months. To fill the gap,
Samuel Foote's
Theatre Royal, Haymarket became a third patent theatre in London in 1766.
Further letters patent were granted to theatres in other English towns and cities, including the
Theatre Royal, Bath in 1768, the
Theatre Royal, Liverpool in 1772, and the
Theatre Royal, Bristol in 1778.
These monopolies on the performance of "serious" plays were eventually revoked by the
Theatres Act 1843, but
censorship of the content of plays by the
Lord Chamberlain under
Robert Walpole's
Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 continued until 1968.
Further Information
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