February the 2nd in Theatrical History

(Nell Gwynn by Peter Lely)

On the 2nd of February 1651 Nell Gwyn was born. Due to her lowly background records which go into much depth about her family and early life are few and far between although rumour and accounts from the day suggest her mother may have run a brothel. What we can be certain of is that Nell was born in the parish St-Martin-In-The-Field in London in 1651 in what is now the heart of the West End or as many call it Theatre Land. Nell began her career in Drury Lane as an orange girl selling oranges and perhaps her own sexual favours. When she turned fourteen the theatres in England began to allow women to grace the stage and Nell trained as one of the first female actors. Despite being illiterate she by all accounts was a very smart and witty woman who learnt lines quickly by recitation. Nell would take London by storm as one of the originators of the Restoration Comedy scene, her performances spread the popularity of these works. Nell moved into the fashionable set in London mixing with the aristocracy and becoming great friends with the writer Aphra Behn. In 1668 Nell began her notorious affair with King Charles the II which led to her becoming an even bigger box office attraction and having playwrights writing special parts for her. Eventually Nell became pregnant and bore the King a son Charles who would become the Earl of Burford, a title still alive today, and a predecessor of the title the Duchy of St Albans. Despite having a child and being the Kings main mistress Nell still returned to the stage in 1670 for a Dryden play. However 1671 would be the last year she trod the boards. Nell retired to become a lady of the town but her influence on the theatre reaches out across the centuries, numerous productions have been created about her with at least 4 plays and two musicals centred around her life. Nell Gwyn has also had numerous books written about her life and is still a popular figure of scandal and intrigue even 300 years after her death. Nell still has a part to play in the theatre today especially for theatres along the Strand where if you turn off into the quiet and unassuming Bull Inn Court you will find the Nell Gwynne tavern a small pub which has been described as old worldly. Some people have blamed Nell for the idea that perpetuated the stage for years that women actors were prostitutes and adulteresses but I think her legacy has been more about breaking down doors and showing that women can provide more entertainment than men and in many circumstances are better actors than men.

In 1714 on the 2nd of February 'Jane Shore' by Nicholas Rowe was first produced at Drury Lane. Jane Shore was the mistress of King Edward the IV and had been referenced in Shakespeare's Richard the III and had a play written about her in 1600 by Thomas Heywood. The play by Heywood probably heavily influenced the work of Nicholas Rowe whose version was a Tragedy and ran for nineteen nights. Rowe is probably best known for being the editor of the first modern edition of the plays of William Shakespeare.

February the 1st in Theatrical History

(John Philip Kemble and Sarah Siddons in Macbeth as painted by Thomas Beach)

On the first of February 1757 John Philip Kemble was born. The son of Roger Kemble (b 1721 d 1802) and Sarah Ward (b 1735 d 1807) he was part of the theatrical dynasty the Kemble Family. John Kemble had several siblings being one of twelve children, out of whom 5 others became actors including the most famous female actor of the age Sarah Siddons. The family has its beginnings in the famous 'Ward Company of Comedians' run by John's grandfather John Ward and the union of Roger Kemble to John Ward's daughter Sarah solidified the legacy of the Kemble family. John Philip Kemble learnt his trade touring with his grandfathers company and ended up having great success on the London scene after debuting at Drury Lane in Hamlet. In 1803 Kemble left Drury Lane and joined George Frederick Cooke at the Covent Garden company with his sister Mrs Siddons joining him soon after. Tragedy struck five years later when Covent Garden was destroyed by a fire. Both Mrs Siddons and Kemble lost their vast wardrobes to the fire and chose to build a new theatre designed by the architect Robert Smirke, his most recognisable work is the facade of the British Museum, costing one hundred and fifty thousand pounds in 1809 which is the equivalent of nine million pounds today. This of course led to increases in the price of attendance which brought about the darkest part of Kemble's career when on opening night of the new theatre at Covent Garden the audience cried out for the old prices and continued until the police and military had to be called. For two months riots and disruptions continued under his regime at Covent Garden until he finally agreed to reduce prices to the old rates. Kemble would retire in 1817 leaving his share in Covent Garden to his brother Charles but by now the shine on the Kemble family had long been overshadowed by a new star Edmund Kean.



Ulysses is produced at Her Majesty's theatre in 1902. This play is a poetry play based on the ancient Greek tale and was written by Stephen Phillips. It was produced by the theatre company of Beerbohm-Tree and is speculated to have been part of the inspiration for James Joyce's later novel of the same name.

January the 31st in Theatrical History



In 1880 on the 31st of January the Bancrofts, Effie and Squire, began their management of The Haymarket Theatre with a revival of 'Money' by Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer that had premiered at the same theatre 40 years previous.

Sir George Alexanders management of St James's Theatre commenced on this day in 1891. Sir George Alexander (1858-1918) began his career as an amateur and within six years he had made his London stage debut. He went on to work under the great Henry Irving before becoming an actor manager in 1890. During Oscar Wildes troubles which ultimately led to his incarceration Alexander purchased the rights to his popular works and organise the bequeathment of the profits to Oscars sons. Alexanders legacy lives on through his great great nephew Hugh Laurie.





January the 29th in Theatrical History

(A Scene from the Beggars Opera by William Hogarth from the Tate Britain)

On the 29th of January 1728 'The Beggars Opera' by John Gay opened, it would play for 62 performances which was at that time a record. The profits from the show would be used to build the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Since its first run it has been revived several times the most famous being its 1,463 performance run at the Lyric Theatre beginning in 1920. In the late 20s Brecht would adapt the piece into his popular work The Threepenny Opera.

At the Richmond Theatre in 1940 'First Night' by Reginald Denham opened and was produced by the author. The cast included Linden Travers, Beatrice Rowe, Godfrey Kenton, Tony Quinn, Lorraine Clewes, Geoffrey Keen, Jane Millican and his son-in-law Peter Ustinov.