The two patent playhouses operating in the British capital city in the 1660's and 70's did not likely draw huge crowds to their performances, as they were smaller and more expensive than those of Shakespeare's time. The possibilities of seeing 'straight' drama were therefore rather restricted. However, theatre-houses were still as rowdy, noisy and troublesome as they had previously been, for Restoration playgoers regarded a performance as a festive occasion and a good opportunity to meet people and engage themselves in different social activities. With a house clearly divided into three main areas according to price of admission -pit, boxes and galleries- designed, no doubt to make class-differences patent -the audience tended to behave according to certain fixed patterns, which playwrights, actors and theatre managers no doubt took into consideration when planning their shows.
    The present paper offers a general view of those spectators and argues in favour of their determing influence on performances, the sucess or failure of plays and the dramatic literature itself. Wycherley's remark in Love in a Wood about the theatre being 'the meeting-house of the wicked' is supposed to be ironical and far-fetched, but in view of the evidence found in contemporary plays and reports, the people who attended those performances were anything but attentive and well-behaved.