Nell Gwynn (20-35) - Daniela Lucinda Santos

The central character, Nell is plain-speaking, funny, cheeky and holds a strong feminist perspective. A common girl from a whorehouse in Cheapside she was a prostitute before the action starts, and becomes an orange seller at the theatre. There she is spotted, has an affair with the lead actor, and joins their ranks as one of the very first women on the stage. She is initially reluctant to get involved with the King but he does not take no for an answer and she eventually falls in love with him. Once installed in her finery, she rather neglects her family and is forced to leave the King’s Company, but returns after the King’s death. The actor should be a strong singer, dancer, and be confident and comfortable with bawdy humour and ‘décolletage’ (no nudity).

Rose Gwynn (20-35) - Amy Horn

Nell’s sister, slightly older. A smaller but key role, Rose is Nell’s main confidante, especially early on, but distrusts the King and the court; with good reason, as Arlington eventually hurts Rose to get to Nell. She too has a Cheapside upbringing and may well still work as a prostitute.

Ma Gwynn (50-60s) - Nicola Anderson

Their mother is a small role, a brothel-keeper who only appears in a single scene in Act 2 when she comes, gin-ridden as ever, to the Court to remonstrate with Nell about her neglect of the family. A good comedy role, but requiring pathos in delivery as the scene is a set up for news of her death soon after.

Thomas Killigrew – 40-60 - Paul Foster

Killigrew is the manager of the King’s Company – an important medium sized role throughout the play. He has to take the decision to recruit Nell, deals with the impact of that on the wider company, and battles the consequences of her fame/infamy for his business. Generally kindly and ‘normal’, Killigrew has the potential to develop a fuller character slightly absent from the primary text.

Charles Hart – 25-45 - Josh Coombes

A very famous actor of his day and the (romantic) lead actor of the Company. It is Hart who spots Nell, takes her under his wing and immediately begins an affair with her. He sponsors her joining the Company and is very jealous of the King, unnecessarily at first. A central role with some comic moments, esp as ‘straight man’ to Nell in Act 1. Appears as the romantic lead male in most of the plays within the play that we see in rehearsal and performance. 4 or 5 solo singing lines.

John Dryden – any age over 25 - Warwick Grigg

Dryden was a fairly prodigious and successful playwright in his day, though his work has not lasted. In this play he is a slightly depressed character always up against an impossible writing deadline (end of the week for a new play!) and is delighted when Nell joins as his new muse – a ‘real woman’ he can write for. His comedy comes from his reworking of some classic Shakespeare plays…

Nancy – 30-60 (older than Nell) - Emma Thompson

The Company seamstress – a commoner, a friend and a bit of a mother figure to Nell, this is a broad comedy role particularly when she has to step in for Nell when she leaves the company for a while. She is a terrible actor and the rehearsal scene in act 2 should be very funny as Nancy wrestles with the acting process.

Edward Kynaston – 20-45 - Nick Lund

The actor in the Company who has always played the romantic female leads. Replete with his splendid pair of ‘linen tits’ he is mortified by the fact a real woman will join the team. Broad comedy role with scope for controlled hamming, but also a figure with whom the audience must eventually empathise.

Ned Spiggett – 16-25 - Ian Thomas

The youngest and newest actor in the troupe, Ned is impressionable and nervous, but a champion for Nell who he probably fancies. He opens the play with a terribly delivered prologue that gets him booed offstage by the hecklers, but he grows up somewhat through the play and is an established member by the end. Some comedy lines.

King Charles II – ideally 35 - 45 (he was 45 when he died) - Neil James

The real deal – a King! A central character in fine clothes, famous for his devotion to hedonism and restoring a pleasurable and colourful culture to England after the puritans had been sent packing, Charles has an important speech in Act 2 when he explains that his playboy lifestyle and ‘do nothing’ political strategy makes sense in the context of his father losing his head, parliament having too much power, his having no direct heir, and balancing the Protestant and Catholic factions in the country after years of civil and religious war. He has a wife and three mistresses (in this play alone), and seems permanently up for it… Must wear the regulation wig! Regal but human, with lots of funny lines.

Queen Catherine – probably older than Charles - Caroline Ross

Queen Catherine gave Charles no legitimate heirs and theirs seems a political marriage. She has just one Act 1 scene in which she speaks about 20 hilarious lines almost entirely in Portuguese, railing and swearing at Charles about his mistresses. Must be credible with learning to speak the Portuguese fluently and with great gusto (I can’t help, but a translation is provided).

Lord Arlington – 50 plus - Marc Anderson

Charles’ principal advisor, Arlington is a sizable and important role in the play, constantly keeping an eye on politics, parliament and the nation while his playboy boss seems uninterested in affairs of state. His motivations are clear, he is necessarily a bore and a drag on Charles, but this produces some comedy, and he goes to extreme lengths to try and rid the Court of Nell…

Lady Castlemaine - Anna Napolitano

Charles’ mistress at the start of the play she is a scheming, clever and highly ambitious woman only interested in the King for the title and children he can give her. She has a couple of good scenes in Act 1, firstly with Charles, getting one over on the Queen, and later on when she makes way for Nell in the King’s affections (shades of Another Suitcase in Another Hall...?)

Louise de Keroualle - Sarah Slater

The beautiful, saucy French mistress who Charles takes on, partly for political reasons, while he is still with Nell. Nell is terribly jealous and mocks Louise’s flamboyant clothes in one of her comic songs – a production number. Louise is not a large part - she appears in two Act 2 scenes and speaks mainly in French.

Attendant and Heckler - Naomi Sherwood

Ensemble. A few odd lines, but appear often as courtiers, pages, dressers, backstage crew etc – people need to audition for these roles as they are important for filling out dancing and singing chorus numbers. Specialised dancers may be given prominent placing – note there is no tap or ballet!

Heckler and Servant - Wally Walters

Attendant and Heckler - Enid Gayle

Ensemble. A few odd lines, but appear often as courtiers, pages, dressers, backstage crew etc – people need to audition for these roles as they are important for filling out dancing and singing chorus numbers. Specialised dancers may be given prominent placing – note there is no tap or ballet!

Heckler and Servant - Graham Collier

Director - Mark Humble

Choreographer - Carolyn Floyd

Set Designer and Builder - John Godliman

Stage Manager and Set Builder - Simon Waller

Deputy Stage Manager, Properties and Assistant Scenic Artist - Clare Pinnock

Lighting Design and Sound - Jonathan Miller

Costumes - Anna Foster

Costumes - Judith Dolley

Costumes - Sarah Slater

Continuity and Scenic Artist - Linda Russell

Scenic Artist, Bust Casting, Flyer and Programme Design - Anne Nunn

Set Assistant - Bill Payne

Set Assistant - Ian Thomas

Set Assistant - Liz Thomas

Publicity - Nick Lund

Publicity - Frankie Godliman

Photography - Alan Bostock (www.photoeyes.biz)

Box Office - Leah Ayers

Musical Director, Guitar and Bass - Chris Winslet

Oboe, Harpsichord - Terry Hogan

Recorders - Liz Morrell