During the time that Country Wife was first performed, the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, was arguably the most popular english-speaking playhouse in the world, and the first performance of the show was played by the King's Company in January of 1675. This was the second version of the Theatre Royal after the first burned down in 1674. As can be seen in the picture above, the stage was very large, and was used extensively for The Country Wife and the other shows of the period. At this point in theatre, everything was over the top and extravagant, in stark contrast to the ban and censorship of the theatre and arts in general under the rule of Cromwell.
Theater Royal. Digital image. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. <http://www.doakisland.com/school/Restoration&18th/TheaterRoyal.gif>.
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