This research is also part of my Historical Context unit, as I look at the play 'The Country Wife' written during the restoration period in which 'Playhouse Creatures' is set. My research will allow me to discover how the play 'The Country Wife' would have been performed due to the receiving audience.
For this research I used sources: http://www.gradesaver.com/the-country-wife/study-guide
http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/drama/countrywife.htm
Restoration Theatre:
Between 1642 and 1660 the Puritans aimed to drive out what they thought was sinful theatre, meaning there was little theatrical activity in England during this time. Once that law expired, many theatres were dismantled during eighteen years of stasis after Oliver Cromwell passed a law declaring all actors were to be deemed as rogues.
British theatre went through a time of renewal when Charles the II returned from his exile in France, creating the restoration period as he began restoring the monarchy. Charles had enjoyed his time in France and became a huge patron of theatre. He set up two new theatre companies whose performances were influential on the growth of British theatre:
“The Dukes Men” – led by Sir William DavenantThe company was under Prince James Duke of York’s patronage. Davenant drafted a document that gave him and Killigrew duel monopoly over the theatre companies; he was able to do this after receiving a warrant to build his own theatre during 1639. He was also the writer for two operas performed during the Puritan regime which cemented him as a reliable manager. Davenant believed that spectacle was the best way forward for theatre due to his background in masque. He went into creating theatre spaces with changeable scenes and updating performances to make them feel new to the audience. As he was only given 23 plays in comparison to the King Company’s 108, Davenant turned his company into writing new adaptations of pre-restoration work that he did have, working with writers such as George Etheredge, Rodger Boyle and John Dryden. Henry Harris and Thomas Betterton were the next set of managers for the Duke’s company and built the theatre house, which was under the watch of Davanant’s wife. Both Harris and Betterton were star actors within the company. Inspired by European theatres the theatre house were state of the art containing boasting machinery. The Duke’s Playhouse opened on 28th June 1661 in Dorset Gardens with the performance of ‘The Seige of Rhodes’, the new theatre showed the possibilities for the company to create rich and dramatic theatre.
“The King’s Company” – led by Thomas KilligrewThe company fell under the sponsorship of King Charles himself. Killigrew put the companies management in his son Charles’ hands after 1671 after Killigrew sold most of his interests in the company. It was in 1682 that the King’s Company and the Duke’s Company merged to become the so called ‘United Company’ under the leadership of the Duke’s Company’s people. King’s Company had many more of the more experienced actors such as Michael Mohun, Charles Hart, John Lacy and even Thomas Betterton (who would transfer to the Dukes later the same year before Lord Chamberlain forbidded such transfers). Killigrew quickly expanded his group by bringing in fifteen new male members and then further adding the first actresses on the English Stage, starting 1661. Killigrew’s motivations for entering into the theatrical business was not so much artistic but monetary. He delegated most of his managerial tasks to the senior actors and sharers. He did not exert and was said probably wouldn’t have been able to have had strong control over an artistic direction of the company.
Venue and Set
Theatre became a leisure activity for the upper class, due to the flamboyant style of King Charles; theatres became lavish as they developed scenic innovations. One influential designers of the 18th Century, Philip Jacques de Loutherberg, was the first designer play around with the depth and dimension of the stage by breaking up the floor space with pieces of scenery. Other designers experimented with lighting, the placement of giant chandeliers which hung over the floor of the stage as well as using candle light.
The Duke’s Company playhouse was noted to have a small stage and proscenium arch, the scenery consisted of wings fronting pairs of large painted flats that were able to move along grooves set in the floor and flies of the stage. This was the first public playhouse to use such setting and impacted the choice of play heavily as it turned them into magnificent spectacles using decorations that had not been used before.
The first permanent venue for the King’s Company was responding to competition from the Duke’s Company more advanced theatre in Lisle’s Tennis Court and was Gibbon’s Tennis Court in 1663. Killigrew built and opened the King’s Playhouse, known today as ‘Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.’ The original theatre burnt down in 1672 and was rebuilt and reopened in 1674. Following little artistic direction from Killigrew, the set followed a more traditional and basic route within no motivation to become modernised.
Actors
Performances were usually light hearted and created humour by interacting with the audience, often mimicking or making fun of the audience. Actors would get paid depending on how popular they were, and they also played the same types of role, tragic actors always played the tragic roles. The female was known as the ingénue (innocent or unsophisticated woman) and the male known as the juvenile (young person). This meant that there were primarily three types of characters seen within each play.
The Fop:This would be the character that the richest members, who sat closest to the stage, of the audience would relate to; due to his posh and flamboyant nature. He would be shown to care highly about his appearance and would often be the source of satirical humour within the performance.
The Rake:The frivolous womaniser, who would undergo the carefree things in life, rich through inheritance would spend their money on gambling and drinking wine. This would be the man that the ladies would swoon over as he’d be the male dominant within the play.
The Wit:This would be the character that creates humour through natural aptitude of using words in a quick and inventive way. He would often use well known members of the audience to create a personal aspect of the theatre that mocked but inflicted comedy.
Thomas Betteron, one of the most famous restoration actors, was noted by men such as diarist Samuel Pepys as the best in the world, speaking of Betterton’s ability to ‘command attention even from the fops and flower girls.’ Betterton’s first stage appearance was in 1660 at the Cockpit Theatre in Drury Lane after John Rhodes obtained a licence to set up a company of players. His strong talents brought him prominence and therefore lead roles. As well as being a public favourite, Charles the Second was a huge admirer and even sent Betterton to Paris to examine stage improvements. Betterton’s inability to dance or sing kept him from being no more than chief consultant in the spectaculars but he continued performing in traditional plays. Other restoration actors include: Colley Cibber, Thomas Otway and Cave Underhill.
Actresses
Before the restoration period, all female roles were played by young men or boys as females weren’t allowed on stage. The return of the theatre meant that rules such as these were no longer in place. Females were now allowed on stage but the portrayal of them was often focused on their physical appearance rather than their talent or acting ability. Due to this women often had a very limited stage time because as soon as they lost their “appeal” they would be replaced with a new girl. The parts that the female would play would often be naive females, they would attract and intrigue young men through suggestive scenes where skin would be revealed in order to get the crowd cheering as this would show their popularity and keep them in the business longer.
Even though it was in 1660 that it was the first time women were allowed to perform on stage, this was less significant at the time. This is because there is no precise record of a specific actress, suggesting that it was not recorded. One example of one of the first recorded female actresses is Mrs Eastland, her named only appeared on the cast list nine years after the company started, and her name doesn’t appear on any dramatis personae until 1669 and she only ever played minor parts. For men the acting profession was a respected and successful career whereas woman who pursued a career in acting showed no serious pretentions to respectability. Although, companies would have to find a middle ground of class as the nature and demands of an actress would require them to learn lines quickly and have a civilised etiquette. This can suggest the overall significance of men compared to women within companies such as ‘The Kings Company’ and that in spite of the allowance of women in the theatre, the patriarchal nature within theatre was still very evident. The first noted female actors, members of the King’s Company included, Anne Marshall, Mary Knep, Elizabeth Boutell, Katheine Corey, Margaret Hughes, Elizabeth Cox, Elizabeth James and the most famous, Nell Gwyn.
Margaret Hughes may have been the first professional actress in England, but there is debate between herself and Anne Marshall to be such title. Margaret was known as the mistress of the Civil War General and later the restoration admiral, Prince Rupert of the Rhine. She was famous for her charms as an actress, more focus on her looks than talent noted by Samuel Pepys as ‘a great beauty’ ‘fine figure and particularly good legs.’ Predicted to have been involved within many men and have an illegitimate son. It was her relationship with Prince Rupert that meant Hughes received rapid advancement through his patronage, becoming a member of the King’s Company, high in status and become immune to arrest and lived a very expensive lifestyle.
Nell Gwyn, another one of the first English actress, was also a mistress of King Charles the Second. She has been regarded as the living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England, noted by Samuel Pepys as “pretty, witty Nell.” She followed a rags to royalty tale and was the most famous restoration actress due to her remarkable comic talent. After being left in a low situation Nell experimented with cross dressing between 1663 – 1667 under the name of ‘William Gwyn.’ She then used her observations to create a successfully hilarious character interpretation acting as a man on the stage in March 1667. Mary Meggs, “Orange Moll” as a former prostitute, was a friend of Madame Gwyn, had been granted the license to sell oranges, lemons, fruit etc within the theatre Orange Moll hired Nell and her sister and scantily clad “orange-girls.” This work exposed her to multiple aspects of theatre life and to London’s higher society, as this was within the King’s Playhouse and Charles frequently attended performances. Nell was only fourteen when she joined the rank of actresses at Bridges Street, a year after becoming an orange girl. Her good looks, strong clear voice and clear wit caught the eye of Killigrew, but yet she still had to prove she was clever enough to succeed within the profession. Gwyn herself agreed that drama did not suit her but it was in the new form of restoration comedy that Nell Gwyn became a star. 1671 was almost certainly her last season, her theatrical career spanned seven years and ended at the age of 21.
Changes
The appearance of women on the English stage was just one change that happened during the restoration period. But, there were many changes within this time: disappearance of ‘national types’ as different cultures began borrowing entertainment such as opera, tragedies, romances. It was from this restoration time that every European nation was influenced by the drama of every other nation. Plots, themes, characters and situations were always being modified as they travelled country to country and sometimes supplanting the home product. Even with this foreign drama, there was still the persistence of Elizabethan Plays, after the opening of theatres the practice of “improving” Shakespeare began, where his plays were altered, sometimes beyond recognition. They often acquired a political slant, where as the royals were flattered and supported by the stage, the Puritans were satirized. Restoration comedy was noted to be far inferior to the Elizabethan, whose dramatists were steeped in poetry, the later ones a reflection of the sophisticated and fashionable world. Restoration comedies were not often mere imitations, but original observation and independence of thought, it was this drama that kept theatre alive in the face of great public opposition.
Lesson-
We started the lesson by going over a piece of movement that Mia, Laura and Abbie had created the week before that captured what it would be like to be a women during the restoration period. We had to think about the bone corsets that they would wear which restrict the movement of the upper half, to show this our posture would be upright, we would look stiff from the hips upward and the ability to turn or twist would be nearly impossible. The largeness of their dresses would restricted the amount of chair they were able to sit on, this meant we would replicate this by only using a matchbox size of the chair. We also looked at the use of a fan, women during the 1600's would often use their fans to communicate or send signals, these are a few:
1) THE FAN PLACED NEAR THE HEART: "You have won my love."
2) A CLOSED FAN TOUCHING THE RIGHT EYE: "When may I be allowed to see you?"
3) THE NUMBER OF STICKS SHOWN ANSWERED THE QUESTION: "At what hour?"
4) THREATENING MOVEMENTS WITH A FAN CLOSED: "Do not be so imprudent"
5) HALF-OPENED FAN PRESSED TO THE LIPS: "You may kiss me."
6) HANDS CLASPED TOGETHER HOLDING AN OPEN FAN: "Forgive me."
7) COVERING THE LEFT EAR WITH AN OPEN FAN: "Do not betray our secret."
8) HIDING THE EYES BEHIND AN OPEN FAN: "I love you."
9) SHUTTING A FULLY OPENED FAN SLOWLY: "I promise to marry you."
10) DRAWING THE FAN ACCROSS THE EYES: "I am sorry."
11) TOUCHING THE FINGER TO THE TIP OF THE FAN: "I wish to speak with you."
12) LETTING THE FAN REST ON THE RIGHT CHEEK: "Yes."
13) LETTING THE FAN REST ON THE LEFT CHEEK: "No."
14) OPENING AND CLOSING THE FAN SEVERAL TIMES: "You are cruel"
15) DROPPING THE FAN: "We will be friends."
16) FANNING SLOWLY: "I am married."
17) FANNING QUICKLY: "I am engaged."
18) PUTTING THE FAN HANDLE TO THE LIPS: "Kiss me."
19) OPENING A FAN WIDE: "Wait for me."
20) PLACING THE FAN BEHIND THE HEAD: "Do not forget me"
21) PLACING THE FAN BEHIND THE HEAD WITH FINGER EXTENDED: "Goodbye."
22) FAN IN RIGHT HAND IN FRONT OF FACE: "Follow me."
23) FAN IN LEFT HAND IN FRONT OF FACE: "I am desirous of your acquaintance."
24) FAN HELD OVER LEFT EAR: "I wish to get rid of you."
25) DRAWING THE FAN ACCROSS THE FOREHEAD: "You have changed."
26) TWIRLING THE FAN IN THE LEFT HAND: "We are being watched."
27) TWIRLING THE FAN IN THE RIGHT HAND: "I love another."
28) CARRYING THE OPEN FAN IN THE RIGHT HAND: "You are too willing."
29) CARRYING THE OPEN FAN IN THE LEFT HAND: "Come and talk to me."
30) DRAWING THE FAN THROUGH THE HAND: "I hate you!"
31) DRAWING THE FAN ADROSS THE CHEEK: "I love you!"
32) PRESENTING THE FAN SHUT: "Do you love me?"
I found this exercise useful as a starter activity to get me thinking about what it would be like living in that time period. We read an extract from 'Our Country's Good' that showed us the sexualised and suggestive parts that females were limited to, this got us speaking about how the world of theatre was for women at this time. Chipp asked us if we thought it would've been competitive? I said yes, maybe even more so as it was a note of your own beauty, social stature and who you knew rather than your talent. And with so little parts to actually recieve women would only have a short time to actually be an audiences favourite before being replaced with a younger, prettier woman. With this, me, Abbie and Laura created a short piece that showed the focus on looks within theatre and the never competitve nature of being replaced that would occur for actresses within the Restoration period. We used dynamic movements with the incorporated the use of the fan in order to add the feminine touch.
We then carried on looking further into this but with the context of 'Playhouse Creatures' in mind. Noting that the play looks at five women, actresses within the theatre and the struggles, Chipp gave us an improvising task of receiving three type cast roles within the theatre and the discussions they would have backstage.
He gave myself the role of the more mature and experience actress. Abbie was a young woman, who was the patrons mistress and Laura was a young aspiring actress. We were asked how we thought our own character would deal to receiving a new piece of script. As mine was more experienced, I think she'd know she needed to go for the more 'serious' female part offered, even though it is a more minor part and means that they are no longer the crowd favourite. They'd be slightly jealous because it is the knowledge of being replaced by the prettier ones. Abbie's character, would feel almost as if they'd be given the part she desired due the patron having influential power within the theatre's company. Laura's looks meant that she was in the winning to have the ideal role, that would have the most stage time and gain popularity. To maintain a theatre standard she would also need to have the correct class and intelligence as well as looks in order to prove herself worthy. This would be something that might make the other characters feel inadequate.
In our improvisation, something that became apparent was the constant fear that one had something the other didn't, the experience of the eldest, the security of the mistress and the beauty of the youngest. I feel that because of the focus was on the beauty for the youngest myself and Abbie were patronizing Laura due to her lack of experience but also through bitter jealously. This came with us telling her how she didn't really need to look at the lines, just look pretty and she'll get the role where the men will want her.
Chipp told us that these idea's are running themes and plots within Playhouse Creatures. Showing the progression and understanding that female actresses had when working in the theatre environment.
'The Country Wife'
'The Country Wife' is a restoration comedy written in 1675 by William Wycherley, reflecting aristocratic and anti-puritan ideologies. It is renowned for it's explicit sexual context even though restoration theatre was known for it's provocative nature. It's based on plays by Moliere (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), well known for his comedic acting and playwrights within western literature such as: The Misanthrope, The Miser and the Imaginary Invalid.
Characters
Henry Horner
The main 'rake' within the play, known well in London for his notorious relationships with women. He decided that to receive sexual access to more 'respectable' women that he would spread rumour that he is a eunuch. This is successful throughout the play and in doing so brings out the moral failings in others, but yet because of his own sexual conduct and the effort put into this we see him as the unprincipled.
The Quack
A doctor that Horner has employed to spread rumour of his new impotent status due to him now being a 'eunuch'.
Jack Pinchwife
Newly married to 'the country wife', Margery. He was before a rake, which causes Horner surprise when he finds out that Pinchwife is married. He portrays the archetypal jealous husband, he does not think that his wife loves him more that he has ownership due to marriage causing him to constantly fear being cuckolded. His nature is deemed quite violent in the anger consequentness from jealousy and fear.
Margery Pinchwife
The title of the play is named after this 'Country Wife', who is new and naive to the ways of London on her first visit down to see Alethea's wedding. The allure to Maragery is her unrefined sexual vitality and the juxtaposition of her natural being with the corruption of hyper-civilized Londoners.
Aleathea Pinchwife
Is the sister of Jack Pinchwife. For finical reasons she must be married off, which is why she is engaged to Sparkish, where even though she admires his lack of jealously she falls for Harcourt upon meeting him, as she values his intelligence and gallantry. She is one of the only characters that has not allowed London to wear away her morals yet gained wit from the pleasures that London brings, which makes her one of the most admirable people within the play.
Frank Harcourt
a 'rakish' friend to Horner and falls for Aleathea early in the play. By the end of the play Harcourt is transformed into an image of marriage to be based on mutual love and devotion after flirting with Aleathea in front of Sparkish, who does not get jealous, and they fall in love with each others good nature.
Mr. Sparkish
Considers himself wrongly a 'wit', but within a restoration performance could be considered a fop with his flamboyant character. We see him as shallow as he is drawn to Aleathea by the 5,000 pound dowery that she carries. While we see him as incapable of getting jealous, this is actually because he views the attraction and displays of affection as adding of value to Aleathea, who he thinks is his property.
Mr Dorilant
A rakish friend to both Horner and Harcourt.
Lucy
The maidservent to Aleathea, encourages the courtship to Harcourt and with her intelligence helps to create schemes to let them be together.
Misstress Squemish
A member of the 'virtuous gang' and yet secretly a conquest of Horner's.
Old Lady Squemish
Grandmother to Misstress Squemish attempts to preserve her granddaughters purity.
Sir Jasper Fidget
The first man we see to find endless amusement in Horner's new impotent status and is therefore happy to trust him with his wife in hope that it will discourage her from other more, potent men.
Lady Fidget
Wife to Jasper, she prides herself on being a leader of the 'virtuous gang' but yet this is revealed to be hypocritical as we find her availing herself to Horner in private yet maintaining her virtuous facade for the public. In later parts of the play she creates a defence of high-born ladies hypocrisy.
Dainty Fidget
Sister to Jasper, another member of the 'virtuous gang' and another conquest of Horner's.
Plot
In act one, after we have discovered the new impotent status of Horner, Sir Jaspar brings his wife and sister around to see if the rumours of this are true. It is Horner's aversion to the sex that leave Sir Jaspar to feel comfortable enough to leave the ladies in his companionship, as much to their disgust of him. Sir Jaspar wishes that Mr Horner will become a mere distraction with little harm. Once gone he proves to the Quack that the plan will work, as rumour spreads of his 'eunuch' status, he will be able to gain acquaintance with women who do not wish to tarnish their reputation but are still attracted to Horner.
We are then introduced to Harcourt and Dorilant who rather than laugh at Horner eunuch status, pity him and want to take him to the theatre and ignore the attitudes of the public. This is where Horner informs the two that he thinks women get in the way of male friendship. Then enters Sparkish, claiming to have left a duke and dine with them instead the three reject to false 'wit' status Sparkish tries to give himself, mocks Horner and he departs to dine with his fiance before the play.
We are then introduced to Pinchwife, who informs us that he wanted to keep his new marriage hidden from the Horner due to his reputation, but he has not yet heard of the rumours about Horner. We discover Pinchwife lying about the apperance of his wife in fear of becoming a cuckold.
Act Two we are introduced to Aleathea and Maragery (The Country Wife) where we see her egerness to walk around London and Aleathea explains to her that Pinchwife is jealous. There is then an arguement between the brother and sister where he begs to keep Maragery as ignorant as he does. By accident, Pinchwife reveals to his wife that a man had seen her the previous night at the theatre and been attracted by her 'homely country girl' apperance, Margery is thrilled and enthusiastic to know more.
We then move to the theatre where we are provided with the beginnings of the subplot between Alethea, Sparkish and Harcourt. Sparkish shows of his fiance and it grabs the attention of Harcourt, yet Sparkish encourages it much to Pinchwifes disgust. Alethea does not find Sparkish lack of jealously as a sign of ill-loving rather a trust in her virtue. When Sparkish feels his honour may be attacked he asks for Pinchwifes help to kill Harcourt, but Aleathea interfears and lies to put all right.
When 'the virtuous gang' go to attempt to take Mrs Pinchwife to the theatre her husband refuses, leaving the women to discuss whether comitting adultery with a high born or low born man is better, finiliasing that with low born it is less known. If it is not known it can't hurt their honour neither their husbands. It is Horner's money that allows herself to follow Sir Jasper's plan to let him take them to the theatre.
Mrs Pinchwife explains how she no longer wants to return to the country until she has met the man who says loves her. Mr Pinchwife blames Alethea for his wife's curiousity of London men. As her determination grows, he accepts to take her and asks Alethea to help create a disguise, she suggests a mask but he states it just makes men more curious and instead dresses her as a male.
Now all of the main plot lines have been introduced, we are able to see how the characters try to achieve their own personal goals. There follows a 'letter' plan by Mrs Pinchwife where she deceives her husband sending him off with the wrong letter in order to tell Horner her feelings towards him. This then develops to a point where he catches her writing another letter, which she says is from Alethea attempting to marry Horner instead of Sparkish, this seems like a better situation as if Horner marries Alethea, Margery will no longer be able to feel towards Horner. She then dresses masked as Aleathea and tells her husband to take her to Horner.
The 3 women of 'the virtuous gang' are in Horner's lodgings, becoming very drunk and they begin to talk more about their frustrations and judgements with a more lower class tone. During this all three women express how they thought they were all exclusive lovers to Horner, rather than becoming angry at this, Lady Fidget wishes they all keep Horner's lie a secret in order to maintain their reputation.
With the confusion Pinchwife has over his sister, he see's her later after leaving his disguised with Horner, this is where she confesses her wish to be married to Harcourt. Pinchwife, outraged when his wife comes through saying she wishes to be with Horner says he has been cuckolded and tells Sir Jasper, who is also present, that he will have been too. This is where Pinchwife first hears of Horner being a eunuch. There is much debate and quarrels on the truth of this. The Pinchwife's admit their unhappiness and Lucy insists that Margery only loves Horner due to the "innocent revenge on a husband's jealousy." Where Mr Pinchwife admits Cuckolds and lovers both deceive themselves.
It finishes on an epilogue by Lady Fidget that would speak to the rakes within the audience that although their rake behaviour may impress other men they do not fool the women.
Themes
Innocence vs Experience
It is clear throughout that Margery, the country wife from the title, reflects the innocence of the country in comparison to the experience that the town life offers. The audience perceives her as naive as she has ability to detect deceit with is why she whole hearted believes that as Horner has said he loves her he could not 'ruin' her. It has been criticised that as she spends time amongst the people in London she develops those traits of deceit such as when she tricks her husband to send the first love letter to Horner. If we say that she maintains her innocence we can say that her remove to Hampshire at the end of the play is a form of banishment as the real world cannot provide for true kindness, honestly and simplicity. If we believe she has been tainted the message is far darker that experience of civilisation corrupts viciously if it can corrupt a girl of such innocence.
Marriage
Wycherley has depicted two types of marriage relationships. One through Pinchwife, where he grooms ignorance into his wife in order to keep her submissive and pure. Sir Jasper abandons his wife, leaving her to travel and enjoy "safe" companionship. The marriagel breakdowns can be shown through the contradictions finds within the fact the assumption of restoration time that wives can be safely neglected but should be kept ignorant. Just as men, the women are shown to require sexual connections which leads them onto men like Horner, which he shows through "for they are sure to make their women hate them, which is the first step to their love for another man."
Staging
The theatre's during this time were no longer open air, but closed with very dim lighting. No longer a standing audience in the pit but benches where wit's (such as Sparkish) desired to sit for it's miscellaneous nature. Then followed by three tiers of galleries, the lower the most expensive with a box for royalty and the highly wealthy. The second tier split into boxes and then the third were seats, the cheapest in the house.
The stage had two sections, the proscenium/forestage was where the main action would be shown extending into the auditorium, whereas the inner stage was the setting for scenic effects. This proscenium arch was new to the English Theatre. By the time that 'The Country Wife' was performed at the new Theatre Royal, they had the ability to move sets due to sliding shutters as well as sound effects.
Rather than the Duke's company who remained to focus on the spectacle, a continuation of a pageant tradition where famous well known actors would perform fancy allegories. This disregarded the importance of quality of acting and script writing which is what Killgrew focused on over at the Theatre Royal. Which is where Restoration theatre seemed to develop it's well known traits of comedy, actor-driven banter and witty innuendos.
The restoration comedy focuses on depicting characters that are from the same social background as the audience, carrying over their ideologies, and although may appear two dimensional are still representational.
Linking all of these idea's to the audience within the time, it's not a surprise that the play is so incredibly sexually orientated with the introduction of women they could create more promiscuously entertaining shows that people would want to watch. As well as the new idea's of marriage that had recently passed that it was now a legal contract rather than a sacramental bond. This then drove the play to run on the moral questionings that the society was already experiencing.
1670's audiences demanded features within plays, these things can be found in 'The Country Wife':The stage had two sections, the proscenium/forestage was where the main action would be shown extending into the auditorium, whereas the inner stage was the setting for scenic effects. This proscenium arch was new to the English Theatre. By the time that 'The Country Wife' was performed at the new Theatre Royal, they had the ability to move sets due to sliding shutters as well as sound effects.
Rather than the Duke's company who remained to focus on the spectacle, a continuation of a pageant tradition where famous well known actors would perform fancy allegories. This disregarded the importance of quality of acting and script writing which is what Killgrew focused on over at the Theatre Royal. Which is where Restoration theatre seemed to develop it's well known traits of comedy, actor-driven banter and witty innuendos.
The restoration comedy focuses on depicting characters that are from the same social background as the audience, carrying over their ideologies, and although may appear two dimensional are still representational.
Linking all of these idea's to the audience within the time, it's not a surprise that the play is so incredibly sexually orientated with the introduction of women they could create more promiscuously entertaining shows that people would want to watch. As well as the new idea's of marriage that had recently passed that it was now a legal contract rather than a sacramental bond. This then drove the play to run on the moral questionings that the society was already experiencing.
- Colloquial prose dialogue
- Complicated entwining plot
- Double entendre (innuendo's)
The sex jokes are provided through the initial plot of the play where 'the rake' pretends that he has become a eunuch in order to be trusted with men's wives and safely have affairs with them. Even Horner's name itself provides as implication of sex. This is then entwined with the introduction of 'The Country Wife' who has recently moved to London and her inexperience and desire to discover the joys of town life, especially the London males. This allows characters to use London colloquialisms within the prose style dialogue.
(Evidence of subtext - Horner, a pun within the characters name itself, still flirts with the women as to the unknowing nature of the males pretence that Horner has spread of himself.)
Lady Fid. Ay, he’s a base fellow for’t. But affectation makes not a woman more odious to them than virtue.
Horn. Because your virtue is your greatest affectation, madam.
Lady Fid. How, you saucy fellow! would you wrong my honour?
Horn. If I could.
Lady Fid. How d’ye mean, sir?
Sir Jasp. Ha! ha! ha! no, he can’t wrong your ladyship’s honour, upon my honour. He, poor man—hark you in your ear—a mere eunuch.
The famous 'china scene' is a clear example of the humorous double entendre in the play as they use the idea of 'giving china' an innuendo for a sex but continue to play on this creating dramatic irony where the man can only appear naive of the lie Horner spread of him being impotent.
On reflection of the explicit nature of the play, many theatres would not allow 'The Country Wife' to be performed. It was replaced by a cleaner version by David Garrick of 'The Country Girl' that removed the outrageous sexual jokes, although the bland version was not very successful as the provocative nature deemed a necessity for the restoration audience. The positive opinion of the witty linguistic energy, sharp social satirical humour and ability to be openly interpreted has become more popular. If 'The Country Wife' were to be performed to a modern day audience, we'd have to make adaptations in order for the play to have a similar effect that it would do for that of a restoration audience. To do this we could:
- Modernise aspects of the play. Update the characters, transfer them over to modern day versions of rakes and fops. The new city girl with makeup, expensive clothes, where as country wife more homely and natural yet still beautiful. The 'camp' man.
-Drawing on the male dominance and emphasising the similarities that still exist today such as the difference between male and women and how they are judged on expressing their sexuality.
-Need to find a way to reconnect the audience with the morality of the play. Keep the traditional restoration theatre atmosphere interacting with the audience as the theatre was about the audience (their society)
-Still making the same themes clear, the political and the idea of a new style of theatre.
-Offsides or direct links to the audience become more direct, as an audience no longer has the rigid social limitations to where they can sit. 