#LegitimateDrama dates back to the defunct English Licensing Act of 1737 that restricted performances of serious “spoken drama” to 2 licensed patent theatres. To control what was said about the British government a Legitimate #Theatre could be easily censored, whilst illegitimate theatres would show only lighter formats: #MusicHall #Pantomime #Burlesque or #Melodrama #WestEnd
In Source: Legitimate Drama
