Nell Gwynn

This play by Jessica Swale explores the life of Nell Gwynn, an eminent Restoration actress and mistress to King Charles II. With the Restoration period as its backdrop – which saw theatres reopening after an almost-two-decade-long ban in England and women were allowed to act on stage for the first time – the play delivers humour and a feminist perspective.

Krista Jackson directs the graduating students in Acting, Production Design and Technical Arts, and Set and Costume Design.

February 24 to 29, 2020
At Monument-National
In English
Pay What You Can

Poster design by Alison Helmer (Set and Costume Design 3, Winnipeg, MB)

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About the Director

Krista Jackson is a director, dramaturge and the artistic director of zone41 theatre based in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 land. Directing credits include: Dancing at Lughnasa (The Shaw Festival - Wall Street Journal’s 2017 Best Revival of a Modern Play); Fly Me to the Moon, The Lion in Winter (The Grand Theatre). Numerous productions with Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre including: A Doll’s House, Part 2 (with Mirvish), a new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, The Seagull and Private Lives. As Associate Director: All My Sons (Stratford Festival). For zone41 she has premiered Awaken, The Miser of Middlegate, as well as new adaptations of Three Sisters and commissioned a rock opera of Richard the 2nd.

Upcoming: Liars at a Funeral (Blyth Festival) and Perfect Wedding (Thousand Islands Playhouse). Krista is also developing an adaptation of The Diviners with Vern Thiessen for Royal MTC. She holds the 2015 Stratford Festival Jean Gascon Guthrie Award and the 2013 Gina Wilkinson Prize.

About the title character

NTS history teacher Willow White writes about the astonishing life of the real-life historical figure behind the show's main character.

"The first English actresses emerged in Restoration-era London following Charles II’s decree that women’s parts must be played by women—a radical decision that overthrew England’s all-male theatrical tradition and provided women access to a new profession and form of artistic self-expression.

Nell Gwynn (c.1650-1687) was one of the first actresses to appear on the London stage."

Team

CAST

Michael Bell ^A3
(North Saanich, BC)

Brynn Tyra Godenir ^A3
(Winnipeg, MB)

Todd Houseman ^A3
(Edmonton, AB)

Brontae Hunter ^A3
(Kincardine, ON)

Ray Jacildo ^A3
(Toronto, ON / Manila, Phillipines)

Patrick Forrest Jeffrey ^A3
(Long Creek, PEI)

Wahsonti:io Kirby ^A3
(Kahnawake, QC)

Sadie Laflamme-Snow ^A3
(Ottawa, ON)

Talijah Levene ^A3
(Toronto, ON)

Erin Loretta Mackey ^A3- plays Nell Gwynn on February 24, 26 and 28.
(North River, NL)

Drew Moore ^A3
(Ottawa, ON)

Erika Prevost ^A3
(Montreal, QC)

Savion Roach ^A3
(Scarborough, ON)

Espoir Akati Segbeaya ^A3- plays Nell Gwynn on February 25, 27 and 29.
(Nelson, BC)

CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM

Director
Krista Jackson

Assistant Director
Angelica Schwartz^D2
(Winnipeg, MB)

Set Designer
Jawon Kang^SCD3
(Toronto, ON/ Seoul, S. Korea)

Costume Designer
Alison Helmer^SCD3
(Winnipeg, MB)

Lighting Designer
Katherine Kellner^PDTA3
(Toronto, ON)

Sound Designer
Michael Wanless^PDTA3
(Calgary, AB)

Video Designer
Christian Horoszczak^PDTA3
(Mississauga, ON)

Production Manager
Zach Fedora^PDTA3
(Kingston, ON)

Technical Director
Patrick Fitzsimmons^PDTA3
(Calgary, AB)

Assistant Technical Director
Brenda Vaca^PDTA2
(Tepoztlán, Mexico)

2nd Assistant Technical Director
Ava Bishop^PDTA2
(Calgary, AB)

Head Carpenter
Brendan Agnew^PDTA2
(Vancouver, BC)

Stage Manager
Ryan Wilcox^PDTA3
(Saint John, NB)

Assistant Stage Manager
Kaylie MacNeil^PDTA1
(North Bay, ON)

Assistant Stage Manager
Mitch Labrosse^PDTA1
(Ottawa, ON)

Set/Prop Design Assistant
Mayumi Ide-Bergeron^PDTA2
(Montréal, QC)

Costume Design Assistant
Maryanna Chan^SCD2
(Saskatoon, SK)

Head Electrician
Brianna Unger^PDTA2
(Ajax, ON)

Lighting Assistant
Drew Lyall^PDTA1
(Kimberley, BC)

Head of Sound
Tiffany Ledesma^PDTA2
(Toronto, ON)

Sound Assistant
Julian Smith^PDTA1
(Norman's Cove, NF)

Head of Video
Caitlin Farley^PDTA2
(Wetaskiwin, AB)

Video Assistant
Wei Qing Tan^PDTA1
(Malaysia)

TD Assistant
Marshall Kidd^PDTA1
(Quispamsis, NB)

Flyperson
Aidan Sparks^PDTA1
(Salmon Arm, BC)

COACHES

Production Management: Andrea Lundy, Technical Direction: Craig Putt, Set Design: Josée Bergeron-Proulx, Costume Design: Louise Jobin, Sound Design: Rob Denton, Lighting Design: Jason Hand, Projections Design: Cameron Davies, Stage Management: Maria Popoff

For this production, two actresses are playing the lead role on alternate nights of performance.

Erin Loretta Mackey ^A3 (North River, NL) plays Nell Gwynn on February 24, 26 and 28.

Espoir Akati Segbeaya ^A3 (Nelson, BC) plays Nell Gwynn on February 25, 27 and 29.

A Look Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Poster designed by Alison Helmer (Set and Costume Design 3, Winnipeg, MB)

An Outdoor Scene, dreamt by Jawon Kang

Set Design by Jawon Kang (Set and Costume Design 3, Toronto, ON/Seoul, S. Korea)

Dressing Room Scene, dreamt by Jawon Kang

Set Design by Jawon Kang (Set and Costume Design 3, Toronto, ON/Seoul, S. Korea)

Model of the stage, dreamt by Jawon Kang

Set Design by Jawon Kang (Set and Costume Design 3, Toronto, ON/Seoul, S. Korea)

Tiffany Ledesma (Production Design and Technical Arts 2, Toronto, ON) and Kita Mendolia (Set and Costume Design, 2018) in discussion

The making of drapes for Nell Gwynn

Set Design by Jawon Kang (Set and Costume Design 3, Toronto, ON/Seoul, S. Korea)

Kita Mendolia (Set and Costume Design, 2018) in conversation with Aidan Sparks (Production Design and Technical Arts 1, Salmon Arm, BC)

Jawon Kang (Set and Costume Design 3, Toronto, ON/Seoul, S. Korea), set designer.

Jawon Kang (Set and Costume Design 3, Toronto, ON/Seoul, S. Korea), set designer, making one of the accessories.

Jawon Kang (Set and Costume Design 3, Toronto, ON/Seoul, S. Korea), set designer, playing around.