A Compleat Vindication of the Licensers of the Stage
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A Compleat Vindication of the Licensers of the Stage is a satirical work by Samuel Johnson, published in 1738. It ironically defends the Stage Licensing Act of 1737, which required plays to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain before public performance. This act led to the prohibition of plays that criticized the monarchy or government, such as Henry Brooke's Gustavus Vasa. The work reflects Johnson's opposition to the government of Sir Robert Walpole and the Hanoverian monarchy at the time. The Master of the Revels was an English court official responsible for licensing and censoring theatrical performances until the Licensing Act of 1737 abolished the office.12
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