Mappa Mundi: The Compleat Female Stage Beauty

After decades of Puritan austerity, the playhouses have opened their doors again and crowds flock to see the sensation of the age: an actress of exquisite beauty and charm as well as taste and talent. Her name is Edward Kynaston. At a time when all performers on London’s stages were men, it was Kynaston – ‘Ned’- who reigned supreme as the foremost interpreter of female roles, applauded and lauded onstage and off for his versions of Shakespeare’s tragic heroines.

Nothing can eclipse Ned’s brilliant domination of the stage. Nothing, that is, until a young orange-seller with royal connections also sets her cap on a stage career. For the sake of his ‘pretty, witty’ Nell Gwynne, Charles II, with the stroke of a pen, changes the law to allow women to act, and Kynaston’s world is turned upside-down. Based on a true story, The Compleat Female Stage Beauty is a perfect vehicle for Mappa Mundi’s vibrant, energetic, and irreverent style. Set in the courts, brothels, and theatres of Restoration London, and peopled with well known characters, the play is an insightful exploration of the construction of gender, past and present, as well as a funny and colourful exploration of the rise of the Actress in British history.

Supported by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Arts Council of Wales.

Suitable for ages 16 +