Keswick, UK. Saturday 01-August-2026.
Another trip to the excellent Theatre by the Lake for a lighthearted production of Nell Gwynn telling the story of strumpet turned actress and her affair with King Charles the Second.
Our usual pre-theatre dinner venue was fully booked and we ended up in the Pocket Cafe Bar. An excellent new discovery for us they did a decent range of beers and good food. I had the special "pizza of the day" which had an excellent thin base and a topping with 'nduja and honey. A slightly odd combo but it worked for me.
Then a short stroll to the theatre where we had seats in a box which works well for a production in the round, as this was.
From our vantage point, we could see all the action. For us it was part drama, part love story, part history lesson. It presented the affair between Nell and Charles as a story of deeply felt love and affection despite Charles' many other mistresses.
With a modest sized cast there was a fair amount of actors playing multiple roles. The production also included musical numbers with some members of the cast playing their instruments for real. I am currently reading Pepy's Diaries and hadn't realised he was a contemporary so it was interesting to learn about the connections - I am now much better informed about Restoration England.
A very enjoyable evening and great to support such a local gem of a venue.
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