Twin Custodians?

This chapter examines the place of productions of Restoration Comedy in theatre historiography of the late Twentieth Century. It considers reasons why this repertoire has fallen out of favour, and the implications of different production styles for contrasting models of nostalgia. Reviewing the histories of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company in this repertoire, the chapter concludes that it is the RSC that must occupy a predominant place in the history of performing Restoration Comedy from the 1960s to the present day.