Nell Gwynn

On Saturday 30th November, I was delighted to be able to attend the latest play by Poulton Drama, ‘Nell Gywnn’.

Jessica Swale’s ‘Nell Gwynn’ is a lively and comedic historical play that follows the remarkable rise of Nell Gwynn, a spirited orange-seller who becomes one of the first female actors on the English stage. Set in the 17th century, during the reign of Charles II, the play charts Nell’s journey from the bustling streets of London to the glamorous world of the King’s Company, where her natural wit and charisma captivate audiences.

As she rises to fame, she catches the eye of King Charles II, and the two embark on a passionate and controversial romance. Despite opposition from the court and rivals in the theatre, Nell’s charm, intelligence, and resilience enable her to navigate the challenges of her newfound status.

Blending history with humour, ‘Nell Gwynn’ celebrates the role of women in theatre and the power of love, laughter, and defiance in a male-dominated world. The play, filled with music and sharp political satire, offers a vibrant portrait of a woman who refused to be defined by her circumstances, securing her place as one of history’s most beloved figures.

This version of the play was directed by Stephanie Heney, who is to be highly commended for her work, which was insightful, well thought-out and never needlessly complicated. Seemingly, Heney grasped early on that this play lives or dies on the quality of the performances, and doesn’t need bells, whistles and shiny things to delight an audience. She had clearly worked extensively with her cast to draw the very best out of them, and their best was more than good enough!

In the central role of Nell Gwynn herself, Grace Whiteside gave a charismatic, mesmerising performance, which drew the audience in from the very first moment. Whiteside performed the role with an air of confidence that was entirely befitting of the character and cemented her place as one of the most exciting leading ladies in District 2. There was a fearlessness to her work on the stage that was a joy to behold - raucous, emotional, uncompromising and passionate throughout. Nell Gwynn uses her sexuality to advance herself and whilst this was a facet of Whiteside’s performance, she was so much more three dimensional than that element of the character alone. This was an outstanding performance in a year of outstanding performances in District 2, and one which will stay with me for a long time yet to come. A towering achievement by an actor who doesn’t realise just how good she is. Bravo, Grace.

As Charles Hart, leader of the King’s Company and Nell Gwynn’s first love interest of the play, Richard Waller gave a delightfully flamboyant and engaging performance. Hart plucks Gwynn out of the relative obscurity of orange selling and encourages her to the stage, setting her real story in motion. It was Waller’s energy and enthusiasm that made this character so enjoyable to watch and he is to be congratulated on an accomplished performance in a challenging role.

Speaking of Gwynn’s love interests, King Charles II was brought to life in this production by Garry Houghton, who made the role his own. The charming, witty performance of a monarch who has become world-weary was an excellent counterpoint to Whiteside’s wide-eyed wonder and enthusiasm as his young lover. It was refreshing to see someone brave enough to not play the role of a historical king with total reverence and pomposity, which can reduce these figures to caricature. In fact, Houghton’s performance was deeply human and his quieter, more emotional scenes with Nell were just lovely to watch unfold.

Every time Lord Arlington slithered onto the stage, Phil Gorner was able to entertain and repulse the audience in equal measure - which is definitely a compliment! As the King’s noble henchman, he was responsible for doing much of the play’s dirty work and it was clear that this was an actor who was revelling in the opportunity to discover a hidden nasty streak. Suitably slimy and delightfully horrible throughout!

Two of King Charles II’s other lovers, Queen Catherine and Lady Castlemaine, were played by the Director, Stephanie Heney and Sharon Brookes respectively - and both gave grand account of themselves on the night. As the King’s Portuguese wife, Heney was dignified, devout, and somewhat tragic, caught in a marriage where her husband is openly unfaithful. Sensitively played by a talented actor, who clearly understood how to make the character resonate. In direct contrast to the Queen’s dignity, was Brookes’ performance as the disgruntled Lady Castlemaine, a lover of the King’s who sees her star begin to fade upon the arrival of Nell Gwynn. Brookes portrayed her as proud, aristocratic, and fiercely ambitious - and she made it abundantly clear that she did not take kindly to Nell’s rise in the King’s affections! Impressive work from both.

Rounding out the cast of strong female characters were Lila Newby as Louise, Helena Axon as Rose, Claire Hull as Nancy and Cath Griffiths as Ma Gwynn. The four actors contributed greatly to the sense of life, energy and colour on the stage, and were often responsible for the play’s wittier and more raucous moments. Each worked effectively with the remainder of the cast and helped to create an engaging and entertaining world for the audience to lose themselves in for an evening. This was further supported by Lisa Hopwood, who more than capably played a number of unnamed ensemble roles.

Completing the cast of ‘Nell Gwynn’ was the quintet of performers who portrayed the remaining members of the esteemed King’s Company, the theatrical group which gives Nell her springboard to stardom. We had Martin Kelly as Mr Killigrew, Kody Ketterick and Mr Kynaston, Chris Moxon as Mr Dryden, Paul Wood as Ned Spiggett and Ian Todd as William. Each of these characters must be played in complete contrast to the others, in order to create a depiction of a lively and diverse group of characters, who find their home in the theatre. In this production, all five actors did so with great success and their shared scenes were some of the play’s most fun and refreshing moments. Excellent work from all!

A word, if I may, on the musicians who were responsible for helping to bring this production to life - which they achieved with gusto. Musical Director, Malcolm Maclean was an intrinsic element of the success of the piece and his partnership with young violinist, Jessica Sychowska was fabulous. They slotted into the world of the play seamlessly and set the tone beautifully.

Set design was minimalistic and this choice was the right one, in my opinion. Props and set were simple and symbolic, and it was left to the actors to create the context of the play, and with a group of performers this talented, the job was done with ease. A busy, crowded set would potentially have detracted from the overall impact of the piece, so I was far happier to see items whipped on and off with minimal fuss. Props were by Caron Wood and her work only further made this world come to life.

There were some scenes and songs in the play which required choreography, and the job fell to the abundantly talented Renee Ames, who drilled the actors in the intricacies of Restoration dance - and they did her proud! Choreography was sharp, well-rehearsed and perfectly placed in the world of the play. Further enhancing that world was the sound and lighting by Martin Judge, which was flawless and unobtrusive all evening, often used as a way to punctuate the scenes and confidently create a sense of wherever we were to be taken next.

The final mention must be for the costumes in ‘Nell Gwynn’, which were sensational. Sourced from all across the North West, they provided the burst of colour that this play needs and Nell’s dresses in particular were sumptuous. This play was a visual treat and the costume work played a huge role in its success.

Do I have any gripes about this production? Just one… The play deserved a larger audience than it got! Perhaps a Restoration-style comedy drama is a tough sell for contemporary am-dram audiences but those of us lucky enough to have caught this play will know what an utter delight it was from top to bottom. I didn’t know what to expect before I arrived at the theatre but I definitely left as a fan of the show. Top notch work from Poulton Drama - I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Thank you for the invitation and hospitality.

 

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