Nell Gwynn

Jessica Swale, when writing this historical drama,  drew a vivid picture of Nell Gwynn as as a strong and resourceful woman who utilised all her talents to become a popular actress when women were first allowed on stage, as well as a favoured companion of Charles II.

The co-directors note in the programme that primarily they wanted the show to be fun: to capture Nell’s spirit and what she stood for above absolute historical accuracy.  They succeeded.  This production of “Nell Gwynn” is a historical romp, a bawdy comedy in the spirit of “Blackadder” or “Upstart Crow”, littered with knowing contemporary references and double entendres.  The action and dialogue are pacey throughout, and the production is amusing, both in the modern sense of being funny, and in the sense that Nell would have understood, of being thought-provoking.

The play contains plenty of barbed contemporary references, such as the observation that women might one day be allowed to write scripts, some thinly veiled criticism of “kitchen sink” dramas, and disdain for the press (aka “The Pamphleteers”).  The peculiar difficulties of staging a play within a play, and particularly of having actors playing actors playing a role, are dealt with very well.  While there are times when Nell gets close to setting out her feminist manifesto – she certainly has some strong views on how women are typically portrayed in plays, with some justification - the history and politics are never allowed to dominate either the drama or the comedy, and the co-directors are able to remain true to their declared intention to deliver a fun evening’s entertainment.

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