Sex and Sexuality

During the Enlightenment a radical change took place in English theatre: the introduction and establishment of the actress. For centuries women had been prohibited from performing on the legitimate stage, and whilst they had long been a lively presence in non-legitimate contexts - appearing in court masques, parish dramas, festive pageants and fairs - it was only with the re-establishment of theatre in England after the hiatus of the Interregnum, that they were permitted to perform in licensed spaces. It is uncertain who exactly the first actress was - Anne Marshall and Margaret Hughes both having some claim to the title - however what is known is that when Othello was performed on 8 December 1660, at Gibbon’s Tennis Court Theatre on Vere Street, the part of Desdemona was played by a woman. This actress was not however a solitary presence. Despite taking the name the ‘King’s Men’ for his company of players, Thomas Killigrew – who, along with William Davenant, had been given a royal license to produce theatre in July 1660 - employed a number of women including Katherine Corey, Mrs Eastland and Mrs Weaver. Initially these actresses’ performances were something of a novelty, however it was not long before women become firmly established within the theatre industry: not only as actresses, but also as playwrights, dancers, singers, and, albeit to a lesser degree, house servants such as dressers, and box keepers.