Drury Lane, 1698

Henri Misson, visiting London from France in the late 17th century, gives an excellent description of the interior of the theatre:

The Pit is an Amphitheatre, fill'd with Benches without Backboards, and adorn'd and cover'd with green Cloth. Men of Quality, particularly the younger Sort, some Ladies of Reputation and Virtue, and abundance of Damsels that haunt for Prey, sit all together in this Place, Higgledy-piggledy, chatter, toy, play, hear, hear not.

Farther up, against the Wall, under the first Gallery and just opposite to the Stage, rises another Amphitheatre, which is taken by persons of the best Quality, among whom are generally very few Men. The Galleries, whereof there are only two Rows, are fill'd with none but ordinary People, particularly the Upper one.

A closer view...

William Hogarth: The Laughing Audience, 1733

The Playhouse: A Satire

The Middle Galle'ry first demands our View;
The filth of Jakes, and stench of ev'ry Stew!
Here reeking Punks like Ev'ning Insects swarm;
The Polecat's Perfume much the Happier Charm...
Discreet in this, their Faces not to shew;
The Mask the best Complexion of the two.
Their Noses falling and their Eyes sunk in,
A wrinkl'd Forehead and a Parchment Skin...

Choak't with the stench of Brimstone, 'twill be fit
To Visit next the Boxes and the Pit,
And for the Muse a Nobler Scene prepare,
And let Her breathe awhile in Milder Air.
But such a sudden Glare invades her Eyes,
So vast a Crowd of diffe'rent Vanities,
She knows where not to fix her Rancour first;
So very Wicked all, that all are worst!...
Such Giddy Insects here for ever come,
And very little Dare, but much Presume:
Perpetually the Ladies Ears they Ply,
And whisper Slander at the Standers by:
Then laugh aloud; which now is grown a part
Of Play-house Breeding, and of Courtly Art.
The true Sign of Your Modish Beau Garson
Is Chatt'ring like a Ladies lewd Baboon,
Shewing their Teeth to charm some pretty creature;
For Grinning, amoung Fops, is held a Feature...

All People now, the Place is grown so ill,
Before they see a Play shou'd make their Will:
For with much more Security , a Man
Might take a three Years Voyage to Japan.

Robert Gould, 1685

The New Cast

Several chapters into the writing now, the cast has developed and changed slightly, so they need a bit of re-introducing. Taken clockwise, from 9 o'clock, we have:

Archie - a headstrong young Cambridge scholar, pulled from his studies by the death of his father which he will learn it is his duty - to his mother, to the world he grew up in, and to his own ambitions for a future as a scientist - to avenge;

Charley - a member of the 'theatrical gentry'; the teenage daughter of a theatre manager, and is herself a budding brilliant actress; she is a strange mixture of ebullient vanity and insecurity;

Veronique - woman of mystery; young mistress of Gian Carradino, an Italian nobleman and society darling; Veronique is fashionable and beautiful - but is she hiding something?

Susannah Pullen - former Drury Lane dancer, latterly actress, prompt and woman of all trades; she is the unmarried mother of Archie; she is resourceful, daring and still very lovely.

As to what they're up to: I'll keep you posted...