The Theatres Act 1843 (6 & 7 Vict., c. 68) (also known as the Theatre Regulation Act) was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It amended the regime established under the Licensing Act 1737 for the licensing of the theatre in the UK, implementing the proposals made by a select committee of the House of Commons in 1832. In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ... The Licensing Act or Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 (citation ) was a landmark act of censorship of the British stage and one of the most determining factors in the development of Augustan drama. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster System of parliamentary democracy. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Under the Licensing Act 1737 (10 Geo.II, c. 28), the Lord Chamberlain was granted the ability to vet the performance of any new plays: he could prevent any new play, or any modification to an existing play, from being performed for any reason, and was not required to justify his decision. New plays were required to be submitted to the Lord Chamberlain for a licence before they could be performed, and theatre owners could be prosecuted for staging a play (or part of a play) that had not received prior approval. A licence, once granted, could be also withdrawn. The Licensing Act 1737 also limited spoken drama to the patent theatres, originally only the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London. The regime was relaxed slightly by the Theatrical Representations Act 1788, under which local magistrates were permitted to license occasional performances for periods of up to 60 days. The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom, and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State. ... The patent theatres were the theatres that were licenced to perform spoken drama after the English Restoration of Charles II in 1660. ... The interior of the third and largest theatre to stand at Drury Lane, c. ... The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House is an opera house and performing arts venue in London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A magistrate is a judicial officer. ...

The Theatres Act 1843 restricted the powers of the Lord Chamberlain, so that he could only prohibit the performance of plays where he was of the opinion that "it is fitting for the preservation of good manners, decorum or of the public peace so to do". It also gave additional powers to local authorities to license theatres, breaking the monopoly of the patent theatres and encouraging the development of popular theatrical entertainments, such as saloon theatres attached to public houses and music halls. Local governments are administrative offices of an area smaller than a state. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ...

The regime established by the 1843 Act was considered by a select committee of the House of Commons in 1866, and two Parliamentary Joint Select Committees, in 1909 and then in 1966, and various reforms were proposed, but no changes were implemented until the Act was finally repealed by the Theatres Act 1968. A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster System of parliamentary democracy. ... The Theatres Act (1968) abolished censorship of the stage in the United Kingdom. ...

As of 2007, the licensing of venues for public entertainments is dealt with together with licensing of premises for the sale of alcohol, under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003. The Licensing Act 2003 (2003 c. ...

References

• Summary of the report of the Joint Select Committee on Stage Plays (Censorship), 1909
• Summary of the report of the Joint Committee on Censorship of the Theatre, 1966-67
• Articles on theatre and music hall from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911)