Introduction
Theaters are a combination of the art vested therein, the infrastructure investment in the form of the theater hall itself, and most importantly the human actors and characters involved in every aspect of the theatre. The Restoration of the Monarchy in England also brought about a form of restoration of what was budded as ‘serious theater’ within the said Kingdom. However, the said restoration was undertaken on a limited scope, perhaps to avoid opening up the wounds created by the Civil War that had just ended. This limitation was in the form of patents, issued by Charles II to only two Theatre managers. The opening of the limited theaters began a cascade that eventually brought theater to popularity in England. It should, however, be noted that the limited opening of theaters had come about because a closure thereof had happened earlier (O’Rourke, 2014). This closure was premised on the uneasy relationship that has always existed between the church and art, a factor that will also be investigated and expounded within this research paper. The bulk of the investigation, however, will be kindred to the patent theaters themselves, the respective patents holders, the art displayed as well as the actors and also the part played by King Charles II in the respiration of serious theater.
Background
As aforementioned, there has always been an uneasy relationship between art and religion, akin to the relationship between science and religion. The Sistine Chapel inside St. Peters Square, for example, is an example of religion embracing art and moving it to the next level. The closure of all theaters in England was an example of the exact opposite of this, religion rising against art and quashing it. The religion on focus herein is the Puritan movement, that arose as an offshoot of the Anglican Church, which itself had broken from the Catholic Church (O’Rourke, 2014). The Puritans boasted a membership of some of the most learned and financially endowed among the nobles of England. They ventured into politics and took control of parliament, leading to the advent of the Civil War. It is this war that became the excuse for the closure of all theaters through an act of the Puritan-dominated parliament on the 2nd day of September 1642 (Wilson, 2015). The situation was to escalate with the capture and eventual execution of the Monarch King Charles I leaving the fate on Theatre in England uncertain. For 18 years, theaters remained generally quiet except for what can be termed as ‘non-serious’ theater which involves music and comedy without any serious content.
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King Charles II and the Patents
At the advent and continuous prosecution of the Civil War, King Charles I sent most of his family to France, based on the fact that his Queen was Henrietta Maria of France. At the time, France was flourishing albeit there was some political turmoil with a majority of the power being wielded by Cardinal Mazarin, an Italian. The English Queen and her children did not, therefore, get the kind of reception they would have anticipated. Crown Prince Charles, therefore, found himself with a lot of time in his hands, which he spent inter alia enjoying art in his maternal kingdom (McFadden, 2015). With the death of Oliver Cromwell and the absence of a worthy successor, the English Kingdom, nor turned Republic fell into turmoil again and another Civil War ensued. This ended with the restoration of the English Monarchy under King Charles II. The narrative about Charles II is important to Patent Theatres because it is his longing for the theaters he had frequented in France that made him desire a restoration of the serious theater with solid content in England. However, the Puritans were still strong in England and King Charles had to be cautious so as not to create another political crisis (McFadden, 2015). Therefore, instead of a blanket opening of Theatres, he issued two initial patents to two ardent theater entrepreneurs.
The Two Patents
The first patent was issued to Thomas Killigrew, a common figure in the court of Charles II and also an ardent lover of the theater. Killigrew had been born in England in 1612 and at the advent of the Civil War followed Prince Charles into exile. It was within this year of exile that he traveled far and wide, visiting major cities such as Rome, Paris, and Milan, where he learned a lot about Theatre. Upon the restoration of the Kingdom, Killigrew was rewarded with posts that kept him close to the King as well as Queen Catherine. It is also reported that he was informally designated as the King’s jester, which enabled him to make fun of any dignitary without fear of repercussion (McFadden, 2015). His deep understanding of Theatre affairs and wit, as well as the relationship with the King, caused him to be granted one of the only two Patents initially issues. The second Patent was issued to Sir William Davenant, a man who so believed in serious theater that he was imprisoned for it during the leadership of Sir Oliver Cromwell. Davenant was born in England, around 1606 and is rumored to be a grandson of Shakespeare. When theaters were banned by parliament, Davenant opened a private theater in his own home where he could continue showcasing the kind of serious theaters no one would dare showcase publicly. This got him continually of legal trouble and he had to flee to France, he ended up in the New World and got a respectable position as the Deputy Governor of Maryland. He ran into more legal problems and was sentenced to death but was spared. Upon restoration, Davenant returned to England and with his reputation in Theatre management already well known, he was given the second of the two letters of Patent by King Charles II (McFadden, 2015). The two letter of Patent meant that only Killigrew and Davenant would showcase serious Theatre in England thus establishing them as a joint monopoly for that genre of theater. These two letters of Patent got a special addendum in 1662, shortly after their initial issue, which allowed actresses to perform on State.
Killigrew’s Company
Killigrew established the King's Company and moved with haste to form a theater company and did not place much emphasis on infrastructure. He focused on the art itself, which enabled him to move with haste and begin showcasing his performances well before Davenport. His first play was performed at the Gibbon's Tennis Court near Lincolns Field in London (Meisel, 2014). Among his initial artists included Robert Shatterell, Walter Clun, and Nicholas Butt. Soon after, Killigrew moved his theater company to more familiar ground at the Red Bull Theatre where Killigrew had acted as a youth. Finally, the company moved to a newer premises at Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Among the plays showcased included Claracilla , The Prisoners and The Parson's Wedding , all written by Killigrew during his days in exile (Major, 2016). The Parson's Wedding is worthy of mention because it had only women actors, a major feat considering that before 1662, women were not allowed to act at all. The ability to pull off a play whose entire acting team is made of women was another testament to the production talents of Killigrew (McFadden, 2015). Over and above his own plays, Killigrew also showcased revised versions of William Shakespeare’s play, which were very popular at the time, albeit vilified later. Unfortunately albeit Killigrew was a great playwright, he was a poor entrepreneur and manager and his theater company was in disarray from the word go. His differed with his actors about payments and fell out with most of his star actors. His theater company soon began to disintegrate and create offshoot theaters who were also able to get their own patent letters (Major, 2016). However, the contribution of Killigrew in the restoration of theater industry in England cannot be denied. Eventually, however, his theater company faced collapse, not because of theatrical bankruptcy but rather due to poor management.
Davenant’s Theatre Company
Unlike Killigrew, Davenant was not a novice in theater management and his endeavor into the industry was done cautiously. He did not rush to produce but rather carefully developed his infrastructure and assets in preparation for a proper start. Killigrew may have commenced fast, but Davenant commenced sure. His first works were performed at the impressive Lincoln's Inn Fields (Meisel, 2014). As was to be expected, among his earliest works showcased his idol and rumored grandfather William Shakespeare. These included works such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Henry VIII. He also produced plays by other major writers such as Sir Martin Marshall by John Dryden (McFadden, 2015). His company continued to grow in status and reputation until his untimely death in 1668. Davenport is reputed as a genius in theater affairs and is credited with the invention of the English Theatre Stage. So successful was his work that his company outlived him, growing in lead and bound and eventually moved to the newly built and specialized Dorset Garden Theatre in 1971 (Meisel, 2014). Davenant’s excellence lay in a combination of theater genius and entrepreneurship and is recorded have made an exponential contribution to the respiration of serious theater in England.
The Two Patented Theatres Become One, then Three
As indicated earlier the production genius Killigrew was, however, a poor manager who disagreed with most of his employees. This resulted in a rift between Killigrew and his son Charles Killigrew who created an offshoot out of his father’s company but also failed within a year. This created a scenario where one holder of the two patents, to wit the Duke’s theater was thriving while that of Killigrew and his son were collapsing. The foregoing led to the taking over of Killigrew’s theater by the Duke’s theater in 1882, under the leadership of Thomas Betterton. However, some disputes arose that caused Betterton to seek for his own letters of patent and begin his own theater at the Lincoln's Inn Fields thus creating two theater companies again. Since the two theaters remained closed during summer, Samuel Foote sought for an obtained yet another patent, which enabled him to open his own company which would also operate during summer (Hume, 2014). This was the Theatre-Royal at Haymarket, London, whose operations began in 1766.
Famous Actors and Actresses during the Restoration
Among the tangible famous actors during this season was Thomas Betterton, the son of an undercook in the Palace of King Charles I. Betterton started acting as a child and his skill grew with time. As at the time of the restoration, he was a reputable actor who joined Duke’s Company under Davenant. So successful was Betterton as an actor that when Davenant dies in 1668, Davenant’s Widow appointed him as one of the two managers of Duke’s Theatre. When the two patented theater became one in 1672, Betterton has already achieved enough of a reputation to enable him to run the combined company. Finally, his acting career was able to catapult him to the position of a patent holder and enable him to start his own theater. On the side of Killigrew, among the reputable actors included Michael Mohun, a great actor who was a contender in his own right for the letter of a patent that was given to Killigrew and Davenant. Mohun elected to join Killigrew where he not only acted but also assisted in managerial duties. He was an excellent actor who acquired a great reputation as such. Another contemporary of Mohun, who worked alongside him in the King's Company was William Cartwright the younger, a great and successful actor. Further, the King’s Company also showcased several great actresses, albeit history was not keen to record their identities. Of special mention, however, is Ann Marshall who acted Desdemona in the play, Othello. Other popular feminine actresses included Margaret Hughes. On the side of Davenant, Mrs. Coleman was among the lead feminine actresses. The idea of women acting on stage was however frowned upon, more so by the Church of England (Baker & Chalus, 2014).
Conclusion
Patent Theatres became the means through which serious theater was restored in England. The Restoration became necessary because the Puritan movement, which was generally averse to art had taken advantage of the 17th century Civil War in England to close down all theaters. The rule that came after the Civil War, led by Oliver Cromwell was equally harsh towards theater and only allowed what can be termed as simple theater, such as music and comedy. Indeed, men like Davenant who insisted on showcasing serious theater were arrested and prosecuted. At this time, however, Crown Prince Charles was in France where he was enjoying the more developed French Theatre. Upon his restoration, Charles desired to restore theater too hence the issuance of Patents to Killigrew who started the King’s Theatre and Davenant who started the Duke’s Theatre. The two companies revived serious theater in England and in 1662 were allowed to also include female actors. It is through these Patents that serious theater was revived in England.
References
Barker, H., & Chalus, E. (2014). Gender in eighteenth-century England: Roles, representations, and responsibilities . New York: Routledge
Hume, R. D. (2014). The value of money in eighteenth-century England: Incomes, prices, buying power—and some problems in cultural economics. Huntington library quarterly , 77 (4), 373
Major, P. (2016). Thomas Killigrew and the seventeenth-century English stage: new perspectives . New York: Routledge
McFadden, G. (2015). Dryden the Public Writer, 1660-1685 . Princeton: Princeton University Press
Meisel, M. (2014). Realizations: Narrative, Pictorial, and Theatrical Arts in Nineteenth-Century England . Princeton: Princeton University Press
O'Rourke, D. (2014). Theatre of crisis: The performance of power in the kingdom of ireland, 1662–1692 by Patrick Tuite (review). Theatre Journal , 66 (1), 167-168
Wilson, J. F. (2015). Pulpit in Parliament: Puritanism during the English civil wars, 1640-1648 . Princeton: Princeton University Press
