While selling oranges in the Theatre
Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen
"Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater’s proprietors with
a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty.
She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly
avoiding the life of prostitution to which her
sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve
from supporting to starring, the scope of her life
broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the
finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary,
and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen
grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and
heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of
Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine,
Ellen wholly captures his heart—and he hers—but even
the most powerful love isn’t enough to stave off the
gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a
royal romance. Telling the story through a
collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices
ranging from Ellen’s diary to playbills, letters,
gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar
brings to life the story of an endearing and
delightful heroine.
