Dorset Garden Duke’s Theatre
Quick Summary
The Dorset Garden Theatre, built in 1671 by Sir Christopher Wren, was a significant venue in London's Restoration theatre scene. It was established for Sir William Davenant's Duke's Players, one of two companies granted royal patents by King Charles II upon his Restoration in 1660. This era marked a revival of theatrical entertainment after Puritan restrictions.12
The theatre featured innovations like a curved stage extending beyond the proscenium arch and the introduction of actresses, most famously Nell Gwyn. Productions initially adapted Elizabethan and Jacobean plays for a sophisticated, aristocratic audience, leading to the development of the "comedy of manners". This period saw playwrights like Sir George Etherege and William Wycherley refine prose drama, though the theatre's focus on a select audience limited its societal representation.1
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