Overview

The year is 1669 a bawdy and troublesome time. Theaters have just reopened after seventeen years of Puritan suppression. There is a surge in dramatic writing and the first English actresses appear on stage. Playhouse Creatures focuses on five of the most famous (Nell Gwyn, Elizabeth Farley, Rebecca Marshall, Doll Common and Mary Betterton) to provide a moving and often comic account of the precarious lives of Restoration actresses.

Please note that there are two versions of this play: The Samuel French Acting edition is the original 1993 version with a cast of five women. We also license the 1997 revised version with three additional characters including The Earl of Rochester and Otway; a cast of 2M and 6F.  Please note on application if you wish to present this version. The revised text is available to purchase on our website in the volume April de Angelis Plays 1, published by Faber. 

Keywords

• From West End