Review: Nell Gwynn Exceeds The Highest Of Expectations

To put you in the picture a little: **Nell Gwynn** is the story of one of the first actresses to take to the stage in London – the same woman who was famous for being Charles II's mistress. In a country full of people who disagree with the concept of female actresses (the horror!), but who adore strict social circles and huge French hats, **Nell Gwynn** defies convention and, propelled by an exuberant character and a lot of innuendos, manages to rise in influence. Swale's production is bursting with well-handled humour. Her writing, combined with **Gemma Arterton's** performance of the title role, creates a show that is fast paced, playful and fantastic fun – the perfect light entertainment. It made me think a little of Wilde's subtitle for The Importance of Being Earnest: “a trivial comedy for serious people”. Anybody with the slightest hint of a sense of humour will love this production. What's not to love? It is feel-good, easy to enjoy, and has real substance to it. I already want to go and see it again. Having, as I said, seen some of Swale's productions in a tiny theatre in Newbury, I did wonder whether the show might be a little too small for the West End. However, I was entirely wrong; the space on the stage and in the theatre was not at all wasted and, given the standard of the show, I would suggest that **Nell Gwynn** more than amply lives up to the expectations of a West End show. In terms of casting, I could find no faults at all. Gemma Arterton carried the tone of the show on her shoulders, and filled the stage with vivacity and liveliness. I can no longer imagine **Nell Gwynn** as being anybody but **Arterton**. The rest of the cast were somewhat overshadowed by their leading lady – fittingly, considering her character – but they were all extremely impressive. Jay Taylor's performance of the character Charles Hart was particularly well done. The set of the show was smart and well-used within the production: a stage on a stage. I particularly liked the fact that the musicians (who were simply superb) were visible throughout the show, occupying an area of the balcony above the stage. This allowed them to interact a lot with the show, which was great fun to see. This would hardly be a worthwhile review if I did not pay tribute to the absolutely humongous hat which featured in a superbly hilarious French song (of which I only really understood the occasional reference to“Crème Brûlèe”). Carried on by a whole troupe of cast members, the hat completely stole the spotlight in one of the most enjoyable scenes in the production. Even without the hat, the costumes in **Nell Gwynn** were absolutely wonderful. Although by no means a musical, the few songs played within **Nell Gwynn** added a lot of energy to the production and, if there was a CD, I would buy it. **Nell Gwynn tickets** can be found at very reasonable prices; London Theatre Direct sell them from around £30. Considering how enjoyable the show is, it is well worth the money and the journey to London; if you get the chance, I would strongly recommend seeing the show before it closes at the end of April. All in all, I cannot find fault in this show. If you like comedies that are engaging, fast-paced, playful and clever, you will absolutely love **Nell Gwynn**, and should definitely catch it whilst you can.