Sir William Davenant, the Court Masque, and the English Seventeen ...

Introduction

This book examines why, when, how, and where the scenic stage began in England. Little has been written about the development of theatrical scenery and how it was used in England in the seventeenth century, and what is known about the response to this innovation is fragmentary and uncertain. Unlike in Italy and France, where scenery had been in use since early in the century, the general public in England did not see plays presented against a painted location until Sir William Davenant presented The Siege of Rhodes at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in 1661. Painted landscapes or seascapes, perspective views of cities or palaces, lighting effects, gods or goddesses flying down onto the stage in a chariot, all these had only been seen before on the masque stage at court or in the occasional private play performance.

This study argues that Sir William Davenant (1606–1668) was involved almost from the beginning of the process; that his influence continued after his death; and that, although painted scenery as such would undoubtedly have appeared on the public stage after 1660, it would not have been in the same way, for Davenant made particular positive contributions which brought about certain changes in both the presentation and reception of plays which would not have happened as they did without his work and influence.