<p>'One no more owes one's beauty to a lover, than one's wit to an echo.'<br>With the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the republican ban on organised theatre was lifted ? and plays exploded back onto the public stage with newfound relish. The arrival of actresses for the first time encouraged a great sense of release, which expressed itself in the form of sophisticated comedies exploring the sexual behaviour and moralities of society.<br>Thi...