In Restoration England, Nell Gwynne became the most famous woman alive.
Our play which might have been sub-titled Carry On Up the Restoration! tries to show you why. Funny. Sad. Belting songs.

Theatre is all about storytelling. Folk music is all about storytelling. And Nell Gwynne – what a story. Born into poverty (her mum ran a brothel and her dad died in a debtors’ gaol) the young Nelly was a cinder girl, a fish hawker, an orange seller but became the leading comedy actress of her day.

She is perhaps best known to history as the mistress of Charles II. But is really known to us because she was funny. Samuel Pepys called her “pretty witty Nell”. Playwrights, poets and politicians – the sharpest minds courted her and were part of her “merry gang”.

We’ve songs written by Jo Freya, Robb Johnson, Reg Meuross, Lucy Ward, Boff Whalley and Winter Wilson.

And 350 years on, what’s changed? A plague. A corrupt government. A dodgy duke of York. Ahem.

 

In Restoration England it was traditional to dedicate your play to a patron. Ours is a poetic song played 15 minutes before we start. It is dedicated to my big brother Mark (1959-2022) who loved the play. Indeed so much he invested a four-figure sum in it.

We wouldn’t be here today without his £35.87…

Love you Chipper

Miss you so much, mate.

Graham

 

This is our first trailer of Nelly. It features clips from readings of the play at Belper Arts festival July 2021; Manchester Arts Fringe Festival September 2021; and Leicester Comedy Festival February 2022. Three Nells for the price of one!

 
“It’s a hit!” 🗞️🗞️🗞️ Take it from the folks at the Coventry Echo! #coventry #coventryecho #reviews #nellgwynn #nellgwynne #folk #folkmusic #folkmusical 🍊
“Some of us Mistress Nelly don’t read the reviews” [Charles Hart] But with reviews as good as this we’d be mad not to! 🗞️🗞️🗞️