Playhouse Creatures
By April De Angelis | Starring Anna Chancellor
-I’m an actress. They’ve never had one of those before. I’m a novelty.
It’s the swinging (16)60s, and ‘the merry monarch’ Charles II is on the throne. After violent civil war, England’s theatres have finally reopened and, for the first time, women are allowed to perform in public.
In the West End, grande dame Mrs Betterton (Anna Chancellor) rules the roost. But there’s a new face in town: an orange-seller with dreams of stardom.
Chancellor effortlessly commands attention
From dressing-room camaraderie to bitter rivalry, April De Angelis’ gloriously exuberant, bawdily funny and deeply poignant play celebrates five women grabbing this newfound freedom and making their way in an unfamiliar world. But at what price?
a masterful mix of comedy, history, and heartache, with a cast that is nothing short of brilliant.
April De Angelis’ plays have entertained audiences at the National Theatre, Royal Court, and in the West End. Anna Chancellor’s prolific career on stage and screen includes Four Weddings and a Funeral, Kavanagh QC and My Lady Jane. Anna stars alongside Doña Croll (The Long Song), Katherine Kingsley (The Witches), Nicole Sawyerr (My Mother's Funeral: The Show) and Zoe Brough (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child).
Marvellously entertaining: one of those evenings where theatre is more alive than life
