Among those assigned to the King’s Company were Coriolanus, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra, all of which were set in ancient Rome.
The King’s Company and the Duke’s Company divided Shakespeare’s plays between them. Since there were no new plays, the acting companies first turned to works that had been popular in the past. When Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, he very soon authorized the reopening of the theatres, which had been closed since 1642 under Oliver “Killjoy” Cromwell.
Gillian Bagwell has captured the very essence of the period with a charm and wit that keeps you turning the pages. The book is a beautifully written and lively romp through Restoration England. Nell is a lively and very popular attraction, and as such is the focus of incessant male attention, but it is her relationship with King Charles that will alter the course of her life forever. Into this world of prostitution and corruption young Nelly makes her way, first as an orange seller in the flourishing theatres, and then as one of the first female actresses. London is rejoicing following the end of Cromwell's rule, and the city is soon to become the debauched centre of Europe.
Nell Gwynne is a ragged ten year old when she watches King Charles II make his triumphant return to London in the Spring of 1660.
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