(Dominic Cavendish’s article appeared in the Telegraph, 2/13.)
This West End transfer is the sort of stellar event that sends ripples through the theatrical cosmos, says Dominic Cavendish
If the Restoration-era actress Nell Gwynn (1650-1687) was half as enchanting as Gemma Arterton makes her out to be in this gloriously funny and touching bio-drama, then it’s small wonder that Charles II became besotted with her.
This West End transfer is a triumph for Shakespeare’s Globe and a breakthrough for its author Jessica Swale. But I think it may be best remembered as the moment that Arterton elbowed her way into the front rank of British actresses. We’ve seen her dazzle in the West End before (she perked up the recent musical Made in Dagenham no end), but this is the sort of stellar event that sends ripples through the theatrical cosmos.