The Haymarket Theatre opened in late 1720, only to struggle financially for its first several years. In the 1730s, Henry Fielding staged a series of satires parodying prime minister Robert Walpole. These pieces drew audiences, but they also enraged Walpole sufficiently to prompt him to engineer passage of the Stage Licensing Act of 1737, which initiated the censorship of British drama that continued through most of the twentieth century. The act closed the Haymarket, but beginning around 1741, Samuel Foote, Colley Cibber, and Charles Macklin staged dramas illegitimately for several years, until finally Foote was awarded a limited license, which restricted performance of legitimate drama to the summer months, when the Patent theatres were closed. He opened under the name Theatre Royal Haymarket in 1767. After Foote, the Haymarket was managed by George Colman the elder from 1776 to 1794 and by his son from 1794-1817. The younger Colman's extravagance and inept management led to the sale of the theater to his brother-in-law, David Morris. At the behest of the Prince Regent, the theater was rebuilt in 1820 by architect John Nash at its current location, adjacent to the original site. It reopened on July 4, 1821 with a production of Sheridan's The Rivals. Over the next two centuries, it has been remodeled or refurbished several times, incorporating such theatrical innovations as gas lighting and a full bar. As one of London's top theaters, it has staged scores of outstanding dramas and seen the performances of many of the world’s most celebrated theatrical actors.