This month, the Oxford Theatre Guild brings Jessica Swale’s acclaimed play Nell Gwynn to the Oxford Playhouse stage. Daily Info sat down with director Cate Nunn to discuss what to expect from this exciting production.
Daily Info: What's Nell Gwynn all about?
Cate Nunn: Nell is an amazing story about love and friendship and family. And I was going to say it was a fantastic Cinderella story, about a girl who rises from poverty to riches, but actually it’s much better than that because no fairy godmother magics Nell through life, she does it for herself. She’s this charming, feisty girl who gets herself noticed selling oranges at the theatre and makes her way from fruit seller to one of England’s very first actresses, and then from there she so enchants the King of England she ends up rising to the top of the English court.
There’s comedy, there’s romance – but Nell’s also a total love letter to the glorious, mad, chaotic world of theatre, and how much joy it brings into our lives.
DI: What can audiences expect from the show?
CN: Laughter, fun, songs, dancing, love, joy and a fantastic heroine!
DI: Nell Gwynn began life at the Shakespeare Globe. How did you find shaping it for the Playhouse stage?
CN: I think the show being created for the Globe made it really flexible – it means it’s not dependent on a million special effects or complex set machinery. The elements that make it wonderful are all in the characters and the comedy – and you can shape that to any theatre, whatever size or shape! So really it’s an absolute gift of a show to work with.
DI: Why do you feel Nell Gwynn's legacy has endured since the 17th century?
CN: Partly I think it’s just that we all love a rags-to-riches story! While most royal mistresses were highborn ladies, Nell was born in a slum in London – but she ended up one of the most famous women in the country. Plus she just comes across as impossibly charming in all the stories about her – witty and sparkling and great fun. I think she’s incredibly relatable as this normal girl, who made her way off her charm and her wits. And I love what an absolute trailblazer she was, working as an actress when women had never been allowed to before. She’s definitely one of my historical heroines!
DI: Can you sum the show up in three words?
CN: Joyful, funny & fun.
Nell Gwynn is on at the Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th March. Get your tickets now!