Nell Gwynn

Neston Players were back on stage with their production of Jessica Swale’s ‘Nell Gwynn’, directed by Shannon McMullan, who is making her directorial debut at Neston. With the audience being on three sides, it created an intimate feel, evoking a feeling of how theatre was performed in the seventeenth century. The royal box was situated on stage with red drapes surrounding it. The chequered thrust stage was reminiscent of The Globe’s production of ‘Nell Gwynn’. It was a nice touch having the orange sellers ‘selling’ their oranges before the performance. The songs and dances were well performed by the company. There were times where the songs did slow the pace down – an injection of energy in them would have helped. Costumes were good, with a difference between royalty and the commoners. The orange accents in Nell’s costumes throughout were a nice touch, relating to her job as an orange seller.

There were no real technical requirements needed for this production. What was used was fine. There was a general lighting wash that covered the acting area. The lighting used when King Charles died was a good touch, with a spotlight focusing on the portrait. The sound used was good and the levels were good.

Jemma Brown impressed as Nell Gwynn. There was a twinkle in her eye, especially during the comic moments, which Jemma delivered well. Jemma played the emotional moments well as well, particularly the scene where she finds out the death of her mother. She led the company well.

Kitty Clements did well as Ned Spiggett. Kitty brought a youthful energy to the performance. The characterisation was good, and Kitty helped aid the comedy of the piece.

Alexander Breathnach played Thomas Killigrew, the theatre manager. Alexander was confident in their lines and had obviously thought about the character. Alexander’s projection was good.

Nick Hawkswell gave an impressive performance as King Charles. Nick had a good stage presence, commanding the space when he was on. The characterisation was good and Nick worked well with Jemma. The double takes to the audience were well done and funny.

Jenny Clement gave a good performance as Rose Gwynn, Nell’s sister. She worked well with Jemma, and her scene when she delivered the news about Ma Gwynn’s death was very well done.

Stuart Harper played John Dryden, the playwright. There were moments where Stuart’s performance seemed overplayed, compared to the rest of the cast. Stuart brought a good energy to the performance.

Gordon Wallis was a delight as Edward Kynaston. He was suitably camp and very funny throughout. He used his voice well, changing from his performance falsetto to deepening his voice. This added to the comedy, as well as his costume.

Rebecca Burke-Sharples played Nancy. This was an enjoyable performance from Rebecca, playing the motherly figure to Nell. The scene with Nancy rehearsing was very funny and well played by Rebecca.

Stuart Rathe played Charles Hart. Stuart played the attraction to Nell very well. He had a good stage presence, with excellent diction and projection. The scene where Charles is teaching Nell the mechanics of acting was well performed by Stuart and Jemma, who both worked well together.

Simon Garland gave a convincing performance as Lord Arlington, the advisor to King Charles. There was a good authoritative air to Simon’s performance, with very good diction and projection.

Pauline Garland was fantastic in her two cameo roles, Ma Gwynn and Queen Catherine. Both complete opposites, Pauline threw herself into both roles. Her Portuguese was entirely convincing, using her voice and gestures to invoke what she was saying. Excellent work.

Charlotte Cumming gave a confident performance in her cameo roles as Lady Castlemaine and Louise de Keroualle. Both characters were completely different to each other, due to Charlotte’s acting. If anything, just increase your projection.

Ina Schmidt, Tia Gill, Shannon Murphy and Sarah McGinty contributed well to the production throughout in their ensemble roles. They were all totally engaged in what they were doing, helping to move the story along.

Overall, this was a good production. There were some very good performances, the comedy was good, and the staging helped transport the audience to the 1600s.

A big thank you to everyone at Neston Players for their kind invite and their hospitality.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.