Nell Gwynn

My first visit to Silsoe Drama Club and a night of period comedy drama with a production of the Olivier award winning playwright Jessica Swale’s, Nell Gwynn, who is probably the most famous Royal mistress in English history. First performed in 2015 it went on to win the prize for Best New Comedy. Set just after the Reformation, Nell was one of the first ever actresses to perform on stage when the new King, Charles II, who had a keen interest in restoring theatre after Puritanism, allowed women to act for the first time. After catching the eye of leading actor Charles Hart, who tutored her and whose mistress she soon became, Nell quickly became a popular and successful actress. After meeting King Charles whist watching a play seated together, they subsequently embarked on a lifelong affair, which produced 2 children and ended with his supposed famous death bed words, ‘Let not poor Nelly starve.’

The stage had no set as such and was performed entirely to blacks, a raised platform to the centre rear with a large black box containing, I assume, a hidden keyboard. Only two locations were depicted, The Royal Court at Whitehall Palace and The Drury Lane Theatre, home of The King’s Company. A regal highbacked chair to seat the King was placed on the front apron stage right and a wicker laundry basket containing various costumes stage left. Stage management was under the very capable control of Sharon Moore. The set is credited in the programme under the wonderful name of ‘Bogit and Scarper,’ aka, Paul Jarvis, Anita Jarvis, Matt Gibson and the Director himself, Mick Platt. No comment to that name!! Comic genius!

Lighting and sound were by John Holt and Paul Jarvis, which I didn’t really give much thought to, always a good sign that everything on both those fronts worked perfectly.

Costumes by Mandy Reddick and Janie Bourne were, I have to say extremely well sourced and looked perfectly authentic, from our leads, Nell, King Charles, Charles Hart etc through to the very well costumed ladies of the court and the poorer clothes of the theatre crew. The King’s costume and Nell’s court costumes in particular were strikingly spectacular.  Excellent job ladies. Sally Robinson’s also did a superb job on the various hairstyles which were well matched to the costumed ladies of the court. And as for the various wigs, wherever they were sourced from, they were absolutely spot on!

We started with a chorus song and had several numbers during the show with Musical Director Susan Thorn on Keys, and the ladies playing the theatre support crew, i.e the cooking and the cleaning, were also the chorus, Susan Thorn as Mistress Keys, Yvonne Owen as Mistress Alto and Maggie Jeeves as Mistress Soprano.  

Natalie Shearer, as Nell Gwynn carried the play with extreme confidence and some wonderful comedic touches showing very good empathy and pathos between both her, the King and her mentor Charles Hart. Particularly amusing in the scene where she makes fun of the visiting French aristocrat, Louise de Kerouaille played by Karolina Piera-Harris. Not to forget the flashes of bitchiness between her and her rival for the King’s favours, Lady Castlemaine played by Samantha Golton. Extremely well pitched by all three of them.

Anita Jarvis was a great contrast to Nell as her sister Rose Gwynn, highlighting the difference between the actress, Nell and the struggle her sister faced looking after their mother.  And what a superb contrast Joanna Holt showed as she played both Queen Catherine and Old Ma Gwynn. It really was rags to riches.  But I did notice the doubling up of this part is standard in all but one of the original professional productions.

Also giving great support to Nell as confident and seamstress was Nicky Hedley as Nancy.

Mark Thompson as Charles Hart had just the right amount of authority and charm as he took Nell under his wing to school her in the art of acting, with a superb opener of him teaching her to project his name, ‘Mr Hart!’

Mark Bracey was every bit what you would expect Charles II to be, tall, elegant and regal, and very much a ladies’ man. He was particularly funny in situations where he was quite clearly not in control, either with Nell or with his other paramours and vainly attempting to keep the peace between them. The look of exasperation on this face was priceless.

One of the great comic parts is Edward Kynaston, played in a very camp style by Simon Stranks, as the last of the ‘boy players,’ who had for centuries played all the female parts before Charles legalised the use of female actors. His mixture of camp OTT acting and his determination to fight the inevitable demise of boys playing girls was particularly well pitched.

Mark Hedley as script writer John Dryden and John Rickatson as theatre manager Thomas Killigrew added to the merriment as they sparred over what parts of the play had or had not actually been written as they too struggled with the female takeover of the theatre with the increasing popularity of Nell.

And the final member of the cast was Harry Bracey as the keen but mumbling Ned Spigget who had me fooled for a moment when I thought, ‘I can’t hear a word he is saying!’ Very clever! Loved his placards, ‘Applause,’ ‘Boo’ and ‘Go Wild.’

The director cast himself as the devious and plotting Lord Arlington in what was the best wig of all.

To be absolutely honest, I didn’t find this to be a laugh a minute comedy as the publicity and my research indicated. Don’t get me wrong, it was highly amusing and kept me smiling throughout, but personally I thought it worked just as well as a period drama and was actually quite historically informing, but I have no doubt the playwright might not agree.

So, congratulations to Director Mick Platt, Producer Angela Ayres and the cast and crew. A thoroughly entertaining evening of something a bit different from the norm and which will stand out in my memory for a quite while yet. Very much looking forward to your next productions in July and November.

 

 

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