ABSTRACT
The Sophy, deserves a higher billing in the history of Restoration theatre than it has hitherto been accorded. That John Denham and The Sophy might have any noteworthy part to play in the history of Restoration theatre will come as a surprise to most students of the subject. Given Denham's involvement in the composition, location, regulation, and reception of Restoration drama, then, it is extremely surprising that nobody has scrutinised his place in one of the core documents for any account of its history. The peculiarity of The Sophy's inclusion in this list is only partly down to what we have already seen: the play's obscure stage history. That Herbert was unsuccessful in wresting control of the theatres back from Davenant by exposing the provisional nature of his allegiance to the king surely owes much to the fact the latter never attempted to conceal the nature of his Interregnum theatricals.
