Origins of Musical theatre
There have always been plays containing songs and musical interludes, as far back as Shakespearean theatre and even further back in ancient Greece and in ritual practice where all theatre stems from. The 'Golden Age' of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st in Britain from 1558-1603. plays often contained musical sections called masques. However these weren鈥檛 a fundamental part of the structure of the work and the play could make sense without them. You couldn鈥檛 easily perform a modern musical without its songs as they are integral to both style and storyline.
In the first half of the 17th century, up until the time of A controversial political figure. Ruled Britain as Lord Protector from 1653-1658. Brought about huge changes, from executing the King to the closing of theatres. in the 1650s, masque was a popular form of court entertainment in its own right. The staging was elaborate and expensive. The greatest exponent of the masque was the architect and costume and set designer, Inigo Jones.