28:
81:, the spectaculars are sometimes called "English opera". The expense of mounting ever more elaborate scenic productions drove the two competing theatre companies into a dangerous spiral of huge expenditure and correspondingly huge losses or profits. (
27:
107:
70:; however, they drew Londoners in unprecedented numbers and left them dazzled and delighted. Basically home-grown and with roots in the early 17th-century
128:
17:
114:
51:
121:
83:
66:. These shows have always had a bad reputation as a vulgar and commercial threat to the witty, "legitimate"
38:
91:
43:
67:
42:, or elaborately staged "machine play", hit the London public stage in the late 17th-century
55:
99:
95:
31:
This naval battle was one of the sets for
Elkanah Settle's Empress of Morocco
63:
77:, though never ashamed of borrowing ideas and stage technology from French
59:
47:
74:
78:
71:
46:
period, enthralling audiences with action, music, dance, moveable
26:
8:
18:Knowledge:Today's featured article
7:
24:
52:baroque illusionistic painting
1:
62:tricks, "flying" actors, and
147:
54:, gorgeous costumes, and
39:Restoration spectacular
122:More featured articles
32:
92:Adriaen van der Donck
30:
90:Recently featured:
33:
68:Restoration drama
138:
146:
145:
141:
140:
139:
137:
136:
135:
134:
56:special effects
34:
22:
21:
20:
12:
11:
5:
144:
142:
133:
132:
125:
118:
111:
103:
25:
23:
15:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
143:
131:
130:
126:
124:
123:
119:
117:
116:
112:
110:
109:
105:
104:
102:
101:
97:
93:
88:
86:
85:
80:
76:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
40:
29:
19:
127:
120:
113:
106:
89:
82:
37:
35:
44:Restoration
96:Radhanites
64:fireworks
115:By email
60:trapdoor
58:such as
108:Archive
84:more...
48:scenery
75:masque
129:About
100:Dixie
79:opera
72:court
16:<
36:The
87:)
98:–
94:–
50:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.