Nell Gwynn

Text of the day: “No, no, no, no, no! You miss the point entirely. Theatre is artifice. It’s make-believe. Pretend. The blood is not real blood. Othello’s not a real Moor. People come to the playhouse to engage with the imaginary. For a short break from their wretched, drivel-filled lives they can escape. Who’d go to the theatre to see real people saying real things about life?” (Kynaston in Jessica Swale’s Nell Gwynn)

Apollo Theatre audiences history plays Jessica Swale Nell Gwynn Restoration drama Shakespeare's Globe theatre West End