Playhouse Creatures: The World of Restoration Drama

A lively and potentially interactive lecture on the world of Restoration Theatre: how did it come into existence, where was it performed and for whom, what distinguishes the plays and the players from those that went before the Interregnum? This lecture explores the bawdy, glittering and glamorous world of 17th century theatre, and also the darker side of the world of Charles II's court, with a fascinating array of actors, producers, writers and royals, all intertwined in a world we often underestimate.

Nick Hutchison

Nick is a theatre director, actor and lecturer. He has directed at Shakespeare’s Globe, the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, Wilton’s Music Hall, St James’s Theatre, Cheltenham Everyman, the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, Folger Theatre in DC, Tmu- na Theatre in Tel Aviv, the McCoy Theater in Memphis and the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia.

He is an Associate Drama Tutor at RADA, LAMDA and Shakespeare’s Globe, and has directed, lectured, and taught for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Dublin Lir Academy, BADA, Mountview, Rhodes College, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Case Western Reserve University and the NYU.

As an actor he worked with the RSC, the National Theatre, the Globe Theatre, the BBC and ITV, and appeared in Miss Potter, 102 Dalmatians, and About A Boy.

He lectures worldwide on Shakespeare, is a regular contributor to the National Symposium on Classical Education in Phoenix, Arizona, he had a paper published in Shakespeare Bulletin in 2014, and contributed to How and Why We Teach Shakespeare (Routledge) and Why The Theatre? ( Routledge).  He is the recipient of the 2026 Burbage Award.