Eleanor Ryan

Brilliantly bawdy and incredibly clever, Jessica Swale's Laurence Olivier Award winning comedy (2016) NELL GWYNN is presented by Deborah Jones (Director) and New Theatre in a wonderfully presented expression of this surprisingly true story. 

London, 1660. King Charles II has exploded onto the scene with a love of all things loud, extravagant and sexy. And at Drury Lane, a young Nell Gwynn is causing stirrings amongst the theatregoers.

London, 1660. King Charles II has exploded onto the scene with a love of all things loud, extravagant and sexy. And at Drury Lane, a young Nell Gwynn is causing stirrings amongst the theatregoers.

The beauty of Fringe festival is an opportunity for emerging talent to be revealed amidst an energy of mystery and excitement about which fresh face might be a rising star in the diverse and strong community of local artists. Blackbird definitely fit the bill for such discovery, featuring at the tucked-away Off Broaday venue in Annandale. There in amongst the contemporary pop art outside, and the trashy cafeteria set inside, was woven a dark and devious tale of a reunion between a man seeking a new future, and the young woman who holds all the keys to redemption of them both. Fifteen years prior to her showing up at his workplace, Una was Ray's pre-teen lover whom he abandoned during a romantic getaway. For him, a swift prison stint followed by a new life and lifetime of secrecy, but for her, the scorn and scandal in her hometown that appears to have left her in bitter ruin. Together they will unravel their relationship and leave audiences next to breathless.

Fifteen years ago, Una and Ray had a relationship. She was 12, and he was 40. Then he abandoned her, and they haven't set eyes on each other since. Now she's found him again...After three years in prison and subsequent hardships, Ray has a new identity and has made a new life for himself, thinking that he cannot be found. Una, twenty-seven, has thought of nothing else; upon seeing a photo of Ray in a magazine, she has tracked him down and arrived, unannounced, at his office. Guilt, rage, and raw emotions run high as they recollect the passionate relationship they had fifteen years ago. Without moral judgements, the play never shies away from the brutal truth of this abandoned and unconventional love. Nevertheless, the consequences are shattering.

Written in 1936, this comedy about marital infidelity and revenge is still funny and relevant today.