Licensing Act
Quick Summary
The Licensing Act of 1737 was a pivotal piece of legislation in English theatre history. It confirmed the monopoly of two London theatres, Drury Lane and Covent Garden, on legitimate dramatic productions, a right originally granted by Letters Patent in 1660. This act effectively ended the authority of the Master of the Revels, transferring censorship powers to the Lord Chamberlain. While the act aimed to regulate theatre, unlicensed venues often circumvented the law by offering "public entertainments" and pantomimes. The exclusive rights of these patent theatres were eventually abolished by the Theatre Regulation Act of 1843.12
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Henry FieldingEarly life.…to push through Parliament the Licensing Act, by which all new plays had to be approved and licensed by the lord chamberlain before production.
Read More…to push through Parliament the Licensing Act, by which all new plays had to be approved and licensed by the lord chamberlain before production.
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comedyThe comic outside the theatreThe Licensing Act of 1737 ended the theatrical career of Henry Fielding, whose comedies had come under constant fire from the authorities for their satire on the government. Fielding’s comic talents were perforce directed to the novel, the form in which he parodied the sentiment and…
Read MoreThe Licensing Act of 1737 ended the theatrical career of Henry Fielding, whose comedies had come under constant fire from the authorities for their satire on the government. Fielding’s comic talents were perforce directed to the novel, the form in which he parodied the sentiment and…
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Western theatreMiddle-class drama…London was discouraged by the Licensing Act of 1737, which gave the lord chamberlain extensive powers to censor all plays and to uphold the monopoly of the two patent theatres in London. Theatre managers, however, found a way around this by filling out their programs with musical items. (Similar laws…
Read More…London was discouraged by the Licensing Act of 1737, which gave the lord chamberlain extensive powers to censor all plays and to uphold the monopoly of the two patent theatres in London. Theatre managers, however, found a way around this by filling out their programs with musical items. (Similar laws…
Read More