Auge y caída de la invención española en Portugal (siglos XVI-XVIII)

Spanish theatre had set the standard for theatrical performances in Lisbon and other Portuguese cities since the late 16th century. During the Iberian Union (1580-1640), it dominated the aesthetics of comedy, although some short plays (entremeses) were performed in Portuguese. After the Restoration, Portuguese authors attempted to foster a nationalist theatre with an educational focus, often performed in Spanish and adhering to the conventions of the ‘comedia nueva’. In the early 18th century, French and Italian influences gradually undermined the supremacy of the Spanish theatre. For reasons of taste, those responsible for licensing plays and performances came to condemn it. Nevertheless, the public continued to demand Spanish theatre, and it remained popular well into the following century.