Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swayle
22nd June – 29th June
Nell Gwynn premiered at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2015, before transferring to the West End and winning the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2016.
It is a ‘bawdy’ comedy (think Shakespeare/Upstart Crow/Blackadder), telling the tale of our heroine’s rise from selling oranges on the sleazy streets of London to becoming the mistress of the King of England. At the heart of this unlikely rags to riches story, is a trip to the theatre, the very best place for a king to relax and get away from the tedious worries of politics and monarchy.
With music, singing, dancing and humour galore, Jessica Swale’s Nell Gwynn is the perfect end to the GWT 23/24 season.
“Superbly funny…a juicy, well-wrought thing of great fun, a wonderfully layered celebration of theatre, but most of all an apt homage to a woman incredibly ahead of her time.” Time Out
“They’ve disgraced our trade. Ruined our art. They’ve put a woman on the stage.”
Warnings: Play contains bawdy language and innuendo, in keeping with the 1670s!
Approximate running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including interval.
135mins