Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane stands as the oldest theater site in continuous use in the world, tracing its origins to the restoration of the monarchy in the seventeenth century. After the Puritan government banned secular entertainment, King Charles the Second granted a royal charter to Thomas Killigrew, who built the first playhouse here in sixteen sixty-three. This location broke social barriers by introducing female actors to the English stage for the first time, a radical shift that defined the era of restoration drama.