Nell Gwynn
Information
- Date
- 19th November 2022
- Society
- Allerton Players
- Venue
- The Forum, Northallerton
- Type of Production
- Play
- Director
- Paul Staines
One of the best things about this role is getting the chance to see new shows and being a bit of a history geek, I was delighted to be invited to see Allerton players and their performance of Nell Gwynn.
What a fabulous show director Paul Staines and the Committee had chosen, full of historical content and a fabulously funny script. Let me be clear though this is not a short production however it moved along at a great pace, and it certainly did not seem 10:20 when the final curtain came down.
Paul and the crew had a great vision splitting the stage and bringing a lot of the set into the audience. The main stage acting as the Royal Court and the stage for the Theatre company, allowing the floorspace by the audience to act as “backstage” and the meeting rooms for the company. This was a great concept and allowed the play to move along without delayed scene and costume changes.
The basic story of the show sees Nell Gwynn, a former lady at her mother’s brothel, escape to a fruit seller to an actress in a male dominated industry to finally one of King Charles’s many mistresses and the love of each other’s lives.
The show opened in a lively format with Ned Spigget, played with great vigor and energy by Alison Betteridge, giving us a nervy Prologue at the start of one of the Company’s plays. Getting heckled by members of the company, sat alongside us in the audience and defended by a brash and fiery Nell. This confidence draws the attention of Charles Hart, one of the main actors in the group who sees something in her and takes her under his wing as his little project.
Steve Charlton, playing Charles Hart was fabulous in this role, from an over-the-top method actor to a doting love-struck puppy when Nell makes her move. His scene with Nell where he would teach her the art of “The language of the face” was hilarious. The contrast between this confident character and the despair when Nell leaves him for the King was a lovely transformation.
The Theatre Company members were all really well played throughout. Chris Donnelly as Thomas Killigrew, the Theatre Manager had a lovely frustrated figure throughout from convincing the group to accept Nell, to dealing with the constant changing of scripts being rewritten by John Dryden, played with great flair by Richard Broadley to the panic over the company’s failings later in the show – a very confident performance and very well-articulated.
Other company members included Frances Bainbridge as Nancy, Nell’s dresser and confidante. Frances had a lovely bounce about her, from slick one liners hiding behind the dressing screen to stepping into Nell’s role - and failing miserably. Your comic timing was brilliant Frances, well done.
The final member of the company was Jonny West in the role of Edward Knayston, put completely out of place by Nell’s arrival as he traditionally plays the female roles. Jonny played this role with great over dramatic style and flamboyance that I was shocked to learn that he had stepped into the role with just 3 weeks notice.
As you can tell this play jumps around a lot from scene to scene and we might have got lost were it not for the genius introduction from Peter De Cosemo as William. He introduced each scene with a historical billboard and a cheeky mention, gaining great laughs from the audience.
The other main element of this show is King Charles and his Court. Famously falling in love with Nell she was one of many women in his life and although small roles his wife and mistresses were all very effective in these cameo roles. Olivia Mulligan as Queen Catherine had a great fieriness to her as she ranted away in a fluid Portuguese accent, clearly putting Charles back in his place. Act Two would see a new mistress forced upon him (for Political reasons) and Sarah Hunter’s brief but sharp appearance saw her in a wonderful battle with Nell as she ranted away in French to great amusement of her rival.
The King’s main mistress in the show was Lady Castlemaine played by Cherry Das. Her arguments with both the Queen, the King and Lord Arlington showed off a strong a forceful woman however it was nice to see her softer side when she warns Nell to be careful, a complex character handled with grace by Cherry.
Played as the baddy in the show would see Martin Brooks as Lord Arlington, the King’s advisor. A very controlling man using the King at times as his pawn and with a great distaste to his relationship with Nell. Played in a lovely conniving and pompous manner by Martin Brooks, his instructed attacks on Nell’s family certainly brought out the darker side of the story. You could almost feel his teeth grinding as he rolled out the famous instruction “Let Not Poor Nelly Starve” towards the show’s climax.
Nell of course had her family members rallying around her throughout the show. The relationship between her and her sister Rose, played by Kate Staines, was very heartwarming and Kate managed to display a full range of emotions from caring sister to frustrated rock of the family and then a heartbroken sister and mother. The smallest cameo fell to Christine Trenholm, Nells’ mother, a drunk and owner of a brothel. Christine gave us a fiery and bold showing as she blasted her daughter for rising to stations above her standing, an important role reminding us just where Nell had come from.
Simon Gibson played the regal role of King Charles, and he played it with such frivolity and style which befitted the King’s love of the Theatre. At 1st seeing Nell as another bit on the side, Simon managed to noticeably show a transformation through the performance to when he screams “I love Nell” later in the show we truly felt it. He interacted well with all his women and his clashing with Arlington was very believable. A very demanding role which was handled with ease, the monologue in which Charles dissolves Parliament showed a very confident actor.
Of course the show needs a title role and sometimes the pressure of this can overwhelm an actor, not so in the case of Katie Bowie as Nell. Katie attacked this role with the grit and passion needed, with an accent never faltering we saw Nell’s transformation in front of our eyes. Nell would learn her skills to act in the play and Katie must have gone to the same school as it was clear that she was well “schooled in back chatting and tit-flirting”, another classic description of Nell within the play. Her interaction with all the other cast members was a delight and it was great to see a softer and vulnerable side to her in Act two as well. This was an exceptional performance and worthy of the cheers at the final bows.
Paul Staines directing did a wonderful job with this play, the attention to detail was precise, costumes were perfect for the times (well done costume team) and despite not being a musical society the musical interludes and choreography was simple yet highly effective.
Thank you to the whole cast and Production team for a memorable evening
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