Steven Moffat’s smash-hit comedy hits the Archway! With five cracking, funny, major roles and two very funny cameo roles.

Keep your eyes peeled for the full audition notice in the next newsletter.

Roles:

• Peter - 40-50, male, Husband
• Debbie - 40-50, female, Wife
• Elsa - 50+, female, Lusty, powerful, non-woke, Trump loving American widow
• Alex - 15-17, male, A grungy teenager
• Rosie - 17-18, female, A bossy elder sister
• The Neighbour - 60+, Amiable, relentless and dull
• PC Junkin - 30+, The local friendly policeman

England. The swinging 1660s. King Charles II has revoked the puritan laws of the Commonwealth. Theatres have re-opened and by royal decree women are allowed to perform on the stage for the very first time.

In the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane there is an orange seller whose wit and charisma will soon make her one of the country’s most celebrated actors. She will enchant the crowds, win the heart of the King and dance her way into history. Her name is Nell.

Nell Gwynn is a bawdy, fun, big-hearted love letter to the theatre. Written in 2015 by Jessica Swale for Shakespeare's Globe, it is a fast-paced modern comedy. Come and be a part of this exhilarating take on some of the greatest personalities (and biggest wigs) of the Restoration.

More information about auditions (including audition pack) will be published in due course, but if you would like script details in the meantime then please contact the director Michael Thonger.

Roles:

• Nell Gwynn - 25-35, female, Our heroine. Charisma personified. Born and raised in a Covent Garden slum, her confidence, humour and wit made her the toast of London. One of the country's first female celebrity actors, and eventually a lover of King Charles II. Nell begins the play enamoured with the glamour of the theatre, but her relationship with Charles introduces her to competing lifestyles which she struggles to reconcile. Requires a cockney accent.
• King Charles II - 35-45, male, The 'Merry Monarch'. The very model of aristocratic charm, but beneath the mask of manners he is fun-loving and filthy-minded. The character begins mostly as a comedic figure, but some hidden depths become apparent later in the story. There is much tension over his romantic life: he takes many mistresses, but Nell is the one he feels he can be most authentic around. Requires a Received Pronunciation accent.
• Charles Hart - 35-45, male, The leading actor in the King's Company. Bold, but can be unintentionally condescending at times. He 'discovers' Nell and is her first acting tutor, and briefly her lover. He becomes fiercely jealous at her blossoming relationship with the King, and as her fame eclipses his he becomes an embittered shadow of his former self. Eventually he and Nell reconcile as friends.
• Thomas Killigrew - 35+, male, World-weary manager of the King's Company. He has to deal with the frequent chaos of the theatre, and is a 'straight man' to some of the play's more eccentric characters. A very strong role for those who enjoy dry humour.
• Nancy - 35+, female, Backstage worker at the King's Company. She becomes Nell's dressmaker and eventually her confidante. A very strong comedic part throughout, particularly towards the end of the play when a lack of female actors at the King's Company forces her to take on roles despite the fact that she hates acting. Cockney accent preferred.
• Lord Arlington - 40+, male, The power behind the throne. A cunning and ruthless political operator, Arlington manages many royal duties on the King's behalf. A major antagonist throughout, but he is a staunch royalist driven by ideology rather than pure self-interest. Requires a Received Pronunciation accent.
• Edward Kynaston - 30-45, male, A huge ham with a penchant for melodrama. An archetypal luvvie in the King's Company, he was their dedicated 'female roles actor' and played many of the best parts until women were allowed to perform. He holds a grudge as a result. Essentially a comedic role throughout.
• Rose Gwynn - 25+, female, Nell's responsible older sister. Frequently the voice of reason. She begins the play wary of the theatre but is drawn into it, making her a target for Nell's political enemies. Requires a cockney accent.
• John Dryden - 30+, male, Resident playwright at the King's Company. Absent-minded and struggles with writer's block. He finds himself inspired by Nell's involvement in the company. There is a running gag where many of his plays are blatantly ripped off from existing stories.
• Lady Castlemaine - 30+, female, The King's most prolific mistress. Extremely ambitious. She is an antagonist throughout the play's first half, and whilst she appears completely cynical her last appearance is a note of vulnerability which hints at the real feelings she once had for the King. Requires a Received Pronunciation accent.
• Ned Spigget - 18-30, male, An anxiety-riddled trainee actor in the King's Company. Enthusiastic and good-natured, he develops his skills over the course of the play, ending up as one of the company's most prominent players.
• Old Ma Gwynn - 40+, female, Mother to the Gwynns. An embittered brothel-keeper and a bit of a 'character' in her time. She makes a sudden reappearance in Nell's life and is the source of much tension, seeing Nell as someone who has abandoned their roots. Requires a cockney accent. May be doubled with another role.
• Louise de Kérouaille - 20+, female, Charles' haughty French mistress, and one of Nell's rivals. She is introduced in the play's second half and is a minor antagonist. Requires a French accent. Mostly speaks French. May be doubled with another role.
• Queen Catherine - 35+, female, Charles II's wife, a Portuguese Catholic who married the King for diplomatic convenience. She hates Charles' philandering but is forced to tolerate it. An early scene shows her trashing the palace and making an emotional appeal to Charles. Requires a Portuguese accent. Mostly speaks Portuguese. May be doubled with another role.

Everyone creates coping strategies or rules for living. But what happens when an extended family gathers for Christmas and each member follows those rules, rigidly? In this theatrically playful, dark comedy, the instructions are there for everyone to see – so there’s really no place to hide.

Trigger warnings: Strong language and adult themes. References to mental and physical illness.

Expressions of interest and requests for information, including access to scripts to read - please contact Robert Gregory.

Roles:

• Matthew - mid 30s, male, Son of Edith and Francis. Boyfriend of Carrie. Solicitor. Needs to be able to sing confidently without accompaniment (one instance of singing, but it is key to the plot and the character).
• Carrie - early 30s, female, Actor. Girlfriend of Matthew. Attention-seeking, sexually confident and dresses provocatively. Anxious to please and be liked. Her body language and tendency to physically move about a lot are expressive of her inner emotions.
• Sheena - early 40s, female, Married to Adam. Mother of Emma. Clearly the emotionally stronger one in the marriage. More ‘grounded’ and confident than Carrie.
• Adam - early 40s, male, Son of Edith and Francis. Married to Sheena. Father of Emma. Solicitor. Needs to be able to convincingly affect a variety of comical accents and silly voices. Tendency to sarcasm.
• Edith - 60s, female, Married to Francis. Mother to Matthew and Adam. She has a bad back which must be evident in playing the role. Concerned about appearances. Idealises her sons.
• Francis - 70s, male, Married to Edith and father to Matthew and Adam. Confined to wheelchair. Requires convincing portrayal of neurological impairment affecting his posture and speech.
• Emma - 14, female, Daughter of Adam and Sheena. Appears in one scene, but the character is crucial to the plot. Suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and depression. It should be noted that this character uses one instance of strong language in the script.