This introduction covers Setting the Scene within Culture and Theatre for GCSE History. Revise Culture and Theatre in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 1 of 14 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

📖 Setting the Scene

For 18 years, the theatres had been closed. Puritans banned plays as immoral, frivolous distractions from godly living. But in 1660, Charles II — who loved the theatre — issued patents (royal licences giving exclusive rights to perform) allowing two companies to perform. Within weeks, the stages were back. But this wasn't Shakespeare's theatre. Restoration drama was different: witty, sophisticated, often scandalous. And for the first time in English history, women could act on stage. The most famous, Nell Gwyn, went from orange-seller to actress to royal mistress. Culture, like everything else, was transformed by the Restoration.

▶ Restoration Theatre - National Theatre (6 mins)

Practice questions for Culture and Theatre

Why were theatres closed during the Interregnum (1642-1660)?

A. Charles I ordered them closed as a wartime measure to save money
B. The Puritans considered theatres sinful and immoral
C. The theatres were destroyed in the Great Fire of London
D. French playwrights had taken all the best acting roles

1 markfoundation

What was significant about who performed in Restoration theatres for the first time in English history?

A. Foreign playwrights were allowed to write English plays for the first time
B. Working-class audiences were admitted to the pit for a penny
C. Women were allowed to perform as actresses on the public stage
D. Boys under the age of twelve were banned from acting

1 markfoundation

Quick recall flashcards

Who was Aphra Behn?

First professional woman playwright and novelist in England. Wrote The Rover (1677) and Oroonoko — one of the first English novels (1688). Worked as a spy for Charles II in Antwerp during the Dutch Wars. Pioneer of women in professional writing.

Why had theatres been closed before 1660?

Puritans banned plays as immoral during the Interregnum (1642-1660) — they condemned theatrical performances as corrupting and irreligious. Charles II's Restoration immediately reversed this, issuing licences for two theatre companies in 1660.

Key Features of Restoration Theatre

Setting the Scene