A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
Playhouse Creatures
Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 5w
"Flesh and blood heroines... move and inspire... a few more female role models stamped firmly on your heart." - Time Out
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Cast Size
5w -
Duration
More than 120 minutes (2 hours) -
Subgenre
Period -
Suggested Use
- UIL Approved
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Target Audience
Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Details
Summary
The year is 1669 a bawdy and troublesome time. Theaters have just reopened after seventeen years of Puritan suppression. There is a surge in dramatic writing and the first English actresses appear on stage. Playhouse Creatures focuses on five of the most famous (Nell Gwyn, Elizabeth Farley, Rebecca Marshall, Doll Common and Mary Betterton) to provide a moving and often comic account of the precarious lives of Restoration actresses.
Please note that there are two versions of this play: The Samuel French Acting edition is the original 1993 version with a cast of five women. We also license the 1997 revised version with three additional characters including The Earl of Rochester and Otway; a cast of 2M and 6F. Please note on application if you wish to present this version. The revised text is available to purchase on our website in the volume April de Angelis Plays 1, published by Faber.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
- Time Period 17th Century
- Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
- Cautions
- Mild Adult Themes
Media
"With delicious absurd extracts from the heroic repertory and frantic dressing room scenes, the prevailing tone is comic but you are not allowed to forget the gutter waiting to reclaim these glittering figures." - Independent on Sunday
"An immense talent and witty sensitive dialogue...Thoroughly entertaining." - Tribune
Licensing & Materials
- Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
Please submit a license request to determine availability.