Synchronicity Theatre To Open 21st Season With Jessica Swale's NELL GWYNN

Atlanta's Synchronicity Theatre will open its 21st Season with Jessica Swale's Nell Gwynn, a comedy based on the true story of an orange vendor who becomes one of the most celebrated actresses in 17th Century London - and King Charles II's mistress. Performances run from September 27 to October 21, 2018. For tickets or more information, please visit synchrotheatre.com or call 404-484-8636.

Eleanor "Nell" Gwynn was an "orange hawker" at the Drury Lane Theater in London when her "quick wit" and "remarkable beauty" grabbed the attention of Charles Hart, a prominent actor, who became her lover and trained her for the stage. Soon, Nell was the leading comedienne of the King's Company - and the mistress of King Charles II. With Puritanism a recent thing of the past, Gwynn was one of the first actresses ever allowed to perform on the English stage. The public found her refreshing, and she became a symbol of Reformation comedy. (Biography.com)

British playwright Jessica Swale wrote the character of Nell Gwynn to go beyond the caricature of English history's "most famous orange seller." She wanted to tell the story of a young woman who, "faces a lot of challenges in terms of being taken seriously, both as a woman and as an actress, and who [also happens to be] involved in a love triangle." Although the play is a comedy, the plot also focuses on the seriousness of the roles of women in the 17th Century, and the changes that occurred "in terms of what theatre could be and what women could play." Nell Gwynn won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2016. (The Herald)

Nell Gwynn is directed by Richard Garner. The cast includes Atlanta-based actors Courtney Moors as Nell Gwynn, Robert Shaw-Smith as King Charles II, and Eugene H. Russell IV as Charles Hart. A complete cast list is below.

Show times for Nell Gwynn are Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 5:00pm. All performances will be at Synchronicity Theatre in Midtown Atlanta's Peachtree Pointe complex.

Single ticket prices range from $25-40, and are available online at synchrotheatre.com. Group tickets are also available. Please contact Maddie Mahood at maddie@synchrotheatre.com for more info.

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