Audio Drama Podcast About Restoration Theatre THE PEEK WITH SAMUEL PEPYS Released

The Peek with Samuel Pepys is a scripted, historical fiction comedy podcast created by Lee Melillo. Loosely inspired by the writings of famed British diarist Samuel Pepys, it explores the origins of pop culture as developed during the reign of King Charles II in the Stuart Restoration (1660-1688), through the eyes of a time-traveling celebrity gossip reporter. Written in an irreverent, anachronistic tone, The Peek is the latest entry in a trend of absurdist, loosely-factual historical retellings, as seen in The Great (2020-2023, Hulu), My Lady Jane (2024, Amazon Prime), and Oh, Mary! (Broadway). The first episode premiered on August 1st on all podcast streaming platforms.

The Peek stars Charlie B. Foster (Camp Siegfried, 2nd Stage), Ethan Peña Mock (Personal Pizza Party), and Melissa Bautista (GODMODE, Gene Frankel Theatre). We follow Foster (as a washed-up, jaded celebrity gossip podcast host) after he accidentally time-travels to England's Restoration Era. He lands in the home of Samuel Pepys (Mock), famed diarist and known theatre-obsessive. The pair strike a deal: Pepys will teach the Podcaster all about the budding celebrity culture scene surrounding the Restoration theaters, and the Podcaster will ensure Pepys' diaries are shared widely in the modern day...if he makes it back, that is.

The series was created, written, and directed by Melillo, with additional script edits by Foster. In addition to Foster, Mock, and Bautista, the supporting cast features Major Curda (KPOP, Broadway) as Edward Kynaston, Kana Seiki as Emily the Intern, Anna Mayo as Elizabeth Pepys, Francesca Pinilla as Nell Gwyn, James Carlos Lacey as King Charles II, James Kenna as Sir Thomas Killigrew, Aaron Dorelien as Sir William Davenant, Alex Ramirez Cannon as Thomas Betterton, Jacqueline McKenna as Mary Knep, Celeste Samson as The Witch, Zachary Harrison Poli as The Bard, Matthew Cubillos as Charles Hart, and Eunan Cannon as the Puritan Priest/Others. Additional casting will be released at a later date.

The Peek will consist of ten 15-25 minute long episodes, each focusing on a different aspect of the Restoration theatre and celebrity culture.

Creator Melillo shares, "The Peek investigates Western celebrity culture and where it might have come from, culturally-speaking. The answers to these sorts of things can often be found further back in the past than we are likely to think of at first. For this series, we go to the Restoration Era of British theatre, which-while less popular with modern audiences than the preceding era led by Shakespeare-is the first to feature so many of the concepts we now inextricably link to pop culture and celebrity: gossip magazines, print theatre programs, female stage actors, and more. And we have this one guy, Samuel Pepys, who wrote down nearly every day of his life for ten years straight, to thank for knowing about it."

A new episode will be released every Friday at 12AM EST. For additional information and a complete credits list, go to thepeekwithsamuelpepys.com. Listen to the first episode, "Pilot" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all other major platforms now. Episode 2, "Crowns," is slated to premiere on Friday, August 8 at 12:00AM EST. Be sure to subscribe to ensure you are notified the moment new episodes are released. You can also follow The Peek on all major social media platforms @thepeekwithpepys.

The Peek was created with support from the Queens Arts Fund. The Queens Arts Fund offers project grants to Queens-based artists, artist collectives, and small non-profit organizations of all artistic disciplines to support the local production of artwork and cultural programs that highlight, engage, and bolster the borough of Queens. It is administered by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA).

Main Team Biographies:

LEE MELILLO (Creator/Writer/Director) is a New York City-based writer, director, and producer from North Branford, CT. Melillo's work has been seen across the NYC indie theatre scene at venues such as The Chain, The Tank, Under St. Marks, TheaterLab, Brick Aux, East Village Basement, and more. Her play Slow Burn was a 2024 Semi-Finalist for the SheNYC Festival, and her short plays have been accepted into numerous competitive theatre festivals at Off- and Off-Off-Broadway venues.

Charlie B. Foster (Voice of The Podcaster) is a writer and actor featured in movies such as Sparks (post-production) and Soyboy (post-production). In TV, he appeared in The Garcias (HBO), The HA Festival (HBO), and is excited to portray Wingo in the upcoming Scarpetta (Amazon). He has also been featured in podcasts like Popcorn For Dinner (Apple), The Coldest Case (Audible), and Supreme (iHeart). In 2022, he understudied for 2nd Stage's Camp Siegfried as Him. He is also the voice of one elevator in Soho. @charlie.be.foster

ETHAN PEÑA MOCK (Voice of Samuel Pepys) is a Tejano actor, director, and poet raised in Texas, now based in New York City. Mock has performed across NYC on numerous stages in Manhattan and Brooklyn in both new and classic works. B.A. in Theatre Performance from Fordham University.