English Touring Theatre to open UK Tour of Nell Gwynn at The Lowry
Tue 1 – Sat 4 March 2017
English Touring Theatre will open their UK Tour of Jessica Swale’s
Nell Gwynn, starring Laura Pitt-Pulford in the title role, at The Lowry.
The production, directed by Christopher Luscombe begins its tour at the The Lowry in Salford, running from Tue 1- Sat 4 March. It then goes on to tour at multiple UK venues before returning to Shakespeare’s Globe in May 2017.
Jessica Swale’s warm-hearted, bawdy bio-drama (winner of 2016 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy) tells the story of an unlikely heroine, who went from lowly orange seller to win the adoration of the public and the heart of the King.
Jessica Swale is an award-winning playwright and the Artistic Director of Red Handed Theatre Company. Her first play, Blue Stockings was performed at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2012 and is a Drama GCSE set text. Other writing includes, All’s Will that Ends Will, Thomas Tallis, The Playhouse Apprentice, adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Secret Garden, Stig of the Dump and a new play, The Mission, about illegal adoptions in the 1920s.
In 2012 she won a BAFTA JJ Screenwriting Bursary and current commissions include the screenplay of Nell Gwynn for Working Title, the Horrible Histories Movie and Love [Sic], a new play for BBC Radio 4. As director, Swale set up Red Handed Theatre Company in 2006, where her work includes The Belle’s Stratagem, The Busy Body, The Rivals, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Southwark Playhouse), The School for Scandal (Park Theatre) and Palace of the End (Arcola).
Laura Pitt-Pulford plays Nell Gwynn. Her theatre credits include Flowers for Mrs Harris (Sheffield Crucible), Oliver!, The Sound of Music, Piaf, Hello Dolly! (Curve), The Smallest Show on Earth (UK tour), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), The Return of the Soldier (Jermyn Street Theatre), The Light Princess (National Theatre), A Man of No Importance (Salisbury Playhouse), Mack and Mabel and Parade (Southwark Playhouse), title role in Sweet Charity (Belfast MAC), The Little Prince (Lyric Belfast), Guys and Dolls (UK tour) and Copacabana (Watermill Theatre, Newbury).
Christopher Luscombe directs. His directing credits in London include The Shakespeare Revue (RSC and Vaudeville Theatre), Star Quality and The Madness of George III (Apollo Theatre), Home and Beauty (Lyric Hammersmith), Fascinating Aïda – One Last Flutter and The Rocky Horror Show (Harold Pinter Theatre), The Comedy of Errors, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare’s Globe), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Enjoy (Gielgud Theatre), Alphabetical Order (Hampstead Theatre), When We Are Married (Garrick Theatre), Travels With My Aunt (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Spamalot (Playhouse Theatre). His RSC productions of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, seen last year in Stratford-upon-Avon, have been screened in cinemas worldwide and released on DVD. They transfer to Chichester later this year, and then to the Theatre Royal, Haymarket for Christmas.
The Shakespeare’s Globe Production of Nell Gwynn is presented by English Touring Theatre in association with Nica Burns, Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Paula Marie Black.
Listings Info
Nell Gwynn
The Lowry
Wed 1 – Sat 4 March 2017
8pm, Thu & Sat 2:30pm
Tickets: £24.50 – £30.50 (Including booking fees)
Box office: 0843 208 6000