Oranges and Ink - Hen and Chickens Theatre

Oranges

This was a two-woman play depicting the friendship between actress, orange-seller and royal mistress Nell Gwyn, and writer and spy Aphra Behn. Nell Gwyn vs Aphra Behn would make a good epic rap battle of history. But not as good as Jane Austen vs Charlotte Brontë.

The Hen and Chickens Theatre was a small theatre at the back of a pub. The intimate setting, 17th century music and audience's close proximity to the action made it easy to imagine one was in the rooms of Nell's house in Pall Mall or Aphra's cramped quarters, lit only by guttering candle. The Restoration era costumes were wonderful.

The first appearance of Nell Gwyn (Sarah Lawrie) struck a certain amount of fear into my heart because I was worried she would conform to the one-dimensional image of bawdy, saucy, self-centred, irritating uber-extrovert (although maybe Nell was like that), but during the course of the hour-long play different sides and shades of her character emerged. I liked Aphra (Claire Louise Amias) from the get-go; more reflective than Nell, she was witty, empathetic and self-reliant, with a performative side to her character. I would have liked to have heard more anecdotes from her life.

The portrayal of Nell and Aphra's friendship was realistic and relatable. It was easy to understand why they got on so well. Humour was an important component of their friendship and they shared a love of 'lampooning' politicians and other well-known figures. Both had experienced hardship, both were ambitious and creative, and both acutely aware of the difficulties women faced in being taken seriously and treated with respect. When they each experienced personal tragedy, the other provided a shoulder to cry on - although, as with most friendships, there were moments when they let each other down and harsh words were exchanged.

I'd be interested to know how much is known about their relationship - were they known to actually be close friends in real life rather than simply acquaintances?

The play was chronological - apart from the final scene - and each scene showed their interactions at key points in their lives. It wasn't always clear how much time had elapsed between each scene, but the fact that the scenes didn't follow closely on from one another time-wise made it more interesting.

Next: The Comedy of Errors