The Actress

A drama set in 1660 about the first women allowed to perform on the English stage, adapted from an Edinburgh Fringe one-act version.

Set in London in 1660 after Charles II reopened the theatres, The Actress follows Thomas Killigrew's search for the first woman to take a leading role on the English stage, with two unlikely candidates emerging: ageing courtesan Peggy Hughes and penniless Puritan Anne Marshall. Adapted and expanded from an acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe one-act version and inspired by true events, the play explores ambition, sacrifice and the blurring line between empowerment and exploitation. It comes from the creators of The Giant Killers.