From Orange Seller to Kings Mistress

So off to The Grand yesterday evening to see

Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale

This was the winner of the best new comedy at the Olivia awards 2016 and well deserved in my opinion.

If the original Nell was as vivacious as Laura Pitt – Pulford who plays her one can understand why Charlie II fell for for her. But looks aside she is a very fine actress. The actor who really stole the limelight is Esh Alladi who played Edward Kynaston. This was a time when on Charles II’s insistence women starting to appear in plays leading to the gradual demise of actors that specialised in women's parts and in this play he was more than ready to tell all and sundry his feelings about women onstage as “it will never last”. The well-known actor Charles Cochran appears as Lord Arlington, Charles II’s adviser not surprisingly anxious to keep the lid on the gossip of Charles various mistresses particularly a certain whore come orange seller turned actress.

The whole cast was brilliant, The whole production a joy to beheld. It is such a pity that word didn't get around Blackpool as to how good it is as there was a pitifully small audience this evening which is a crying shame. True there was an advisory age limit indicating that it may not be suitable for under twelves but only because there were some ribald sexual references only fitting for the restoration when people were throwing off the yoke of puritanism but that should’t put any teens and adults off

So if you get a chance to see it in your area don't hesitate and I guarantee you'll come out of the theatre humming the closing ditty.

“And I can do the other thing whenever we're together!”