Exit the Actress

by Priya Parmar

  By Order of His Majesty

  MRS. NELLY GWYN’S FAREWELL PERFORMANCE

  “If you wanted inconspicuous, you have chosen the wrong profession, my lamb.” Teddy giggled.

  “And the wrong lover,” Dryden added fondly.

  Note—Hart has unexpectedly left for Hill House. “I don’t think he could face saying good-bye,” Tom said wisely.

  March 1, 1670—Theatre Royal, backstage (My Farewell Performance!)

  “You are sure you are up to this?” Charles asked for the millionth time.

  I kissed him in response. “I love the stage, Charles. It makes me happy. Of course I am up to it.”

  “But you feel well? The baby feels well?” Charles asked, rubbing my back; my back has been cramping lately.

  “Your Majesty.” Tom bowed, flustered. “You’d best be in your box, sire, as we are about to begin.”

  “I issued the patent on this theatre. You will begin when I choose,” the king said in an uncharacteristically imperious tone. Tom looked instantly shamefaced and dropped into a deep court bow and began to stutter.

  I giggled at that. “He is jesting, Tom. Do stop scraping.”

  The king pealed with laughter. Tom came up from his bow to see the king’s merry face. “I, uh, we can start whenever you wish…,” he said, looking from me to the king.

  “I will get to my box now, Tom. We will start when Ellen is ready,” Charles said generously, hugging me close.

  The king released me and went up to his seat, and Tom hurried off to talk to Mr. Booth, the stage manager and Keeper of the Prompt Book for the evening. He would record this, my last night on the stage. I could sense the house quieting around me. I put my hand on my belly and curved around my baby growing inside me. Closing my eyes, I felt the absolute precise calm born of being in the correct place at the correct time. Stepping forward, I gathered up my many Ellens, like a fisherman pulling in a net, and held them to me for this moment.

  Take a breath. Count three. Curtain up. Now.

  Epilogue

  BURFORD HOUSE, WINDSOR

  NOVEMBER 15, 1687

  Dear Aunt Rose,

  The funeral is set for Thursday. (King James has offered to send a royal coach for you.) Archbishop Tenison has agreed to give the sermon, and Mother’s great friend Mr. Edward Kynaston of the King’s Theatre has promised to help choose the music. She asked to be buried in St. Martin in the Fields. I think if she couldn’t be buried with Father at Westminster Abbey, she wanted to rest nearby. She always said that music sounded sweeter in St. Martin in the Fields than anywhere else in England. She left the rector a generous bequest and asked that I ensure the bells of that church ring for her every Thursday. I know you and I will be comforted to hear those bells.

  I am trying to abide by her wishes and remember her present happiness. When we realised she would not recover from this last apoplexy, she was anxious to assure us of her joy in rejoining Father and my sweet brother, James. Just yesterday she laughed that it was best that she hurried, as she would not want Father running off with any angels in her absence. How like her to make us laugh at such a time.

  My stepmother, Queen Catherine, now in Portugal, sent a beautiful letter, reminding me of her deep affection for my mother. I think they understood each other as well as two people can. People cry out to me now when they see Mother’s crested coach. They throw flowers and bestow good wishes upon me wherever I go. It has been a bit awkward when I am with my half-brothers and -sisters, as their mothers were less popular, to put it discreetly. I suppose I am only now, at seventeen, beginning to realise how rare a person can inspire such devotion.

  Would you have the last of her roses at Pall Mall cut and brought to the church early on Thursday morning? She will like that—to be buried beneath flowers they planted together.

  Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St. Albans,

  Son of King Charles II and Ellen Gwyn

  Author’s Note

  Gwyn Family

  In 1679 old Madam Gwyn drowned in a puddle near Chelsea. Charles Hart, Charles Buckhurst, George Buckingham, Johnny Rochester, and all the Merry Gang turned out for her funeral. After her husband’s death, Rose Gwyn lived on an allowance provided by King Charles II. She never bore children.

  The Theatre

  John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, died at age thirty-three, debilitated by alcoholism and syphilis. He died after reconciling with King Charles II. Rochester remained a close friend of Nell’s to the end of his life. Aphra Behn became the first prominent female playwright on the English stage, dedicating her play The Feign’d Courtesan to her dear friend Ellen Guin. Virginia Woolf wrote in A Room of One’s Own, “All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn … for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.”

  Edward Kynaston, whom Peyps called “the loveliest lady that I ever saw in my life,” retired from the stage in 1699 after a successful career playing both male and female roles. Thomas Killigrew retired from the stage in 1677, leaving his company to be mismanaged by his two sons, Henry and Charles. Charles Hart left the stage in 1682 and died at his home in Middlesex less than a year later. Peg Hughes eventually married Prince Rupert and bore him a daughter, Ruperta. It was said that Prince Rupert hoped his daughter would marry Nell’s son, but Prince Rupert died before this came to pass. Dryden died in 1700 after writing some of the most famous poetry of his age and is buried next to Geoffrey Chaucer in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.

  The Court

  James (Jemmy), Duke of Monmouth, declared himself the legitimate king after the death of his father and led an unsuccessful rebellion against his uncle King James II. His uncle ordered his execution in the summer of 1685. The unpopular King James II was deposed in 1688. Henriette-Anne (Minette), Duchesse d’Orléans, died suddenly at St. Cloud in 1670, two weeks after returning from England. It was rumored at the time that she had been poisoned by her husband. Minette’s Treaty of Dover was successful, and King Charles II fulfilled his promise to declare himself a Catholic, although he waited until his deathbed to do so. Although they remained childless, King Charles II refused to divorce Queen Catherine of Braganza and she returned to her native Portugal only after her husband’s death.

  Nell and Charles

  After giving birth to the king’s son Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St. Albans, in May 1670 Nell returned to the stage to appear in Dryden’s Conquest of Granada before retiring from the theatre permanently. James, her second son, died in Paris at the age of eight. Nell’s love affair with Charles II thrived until his death in February 1685. Among his last recorded words was the entreaty to “let not poor Nelly starve.” On his deathbed he gave Nell’s son Charles the ring his father had given Bishop Juxon moments before his execution.

  Nell remained faithful to Charles to the end of her life, reportedly saying she would not “let a dog lie where the deer hath lain.” Nell survived Charles by only two years and died at age thirty-seven—it was said of a broken heart.

  While I invented much of Nell’s daily life, the major events I describe are rooted in fact. All of the central characters and the majority of the peripheral characters really lived. The happenings in London, the court, the weather, the recipes, the remedies, the medical advancements, and the theatre are also historically based, as is much of the gossip (as much as gossip can be). A lunatic did predict the end of the world, a comet did appear just before the plague, and it did become customary at that time to bless someone who sneezes.

  Some of the unlikelier elements are also true, such as Rochester’s destruction of the king’s sundial and Queen Catherine’s discovery of Nell’s slipper in her husband’s bedroom. Of all of her husband’s mistresses, Nell is the only one she befriended. It is interesting to note that Queen Catherine of Braganza is credited with introducing tea to England. Nell’s “three Charleses” are also accurate. She began her affair with Charles Hart (who was in his mid-thirties) at the age of fourteen and then abruptly took up with Ch
arles Buckhurst and moved to Epsom before beginning her long affair with Charles II in approximately 1668. Charles II would have been thirty-eight at the time and Nell would have been eighteen. These age gaps would not have startled a seventeenth century observer; as these were considered reasonable liaisons in the seventeenth century, I chose not to evaluate them through my twenty-first-century lens. Nell was forthright about her personal history and did in fact refer to King Charles as her Charles III.

  For anyone wishing to read further on the subject, I recommend Charles Beauclerk’s wonderful work Nell Gwyn: Mistress to a King, a comprehensive biography of his endearingly illustrious ancestor. I also urge anyone interested in the period to read Antonia Fraser’s magnificent biography King Charles II.

  I should mention the several variations of Nell’s name I use throughout the story. Although history remembers her as Nell, in the few places she signed her name Nell often used the initials “E.G.” or “Ellen,” and Aphra Behn dedicated her play to “Ellen Guin.” One historical fact I chose to dispute was Nell’s purported illiteracy. I find it difficult to believe that an actress who was required to learn up to three scripts in a week and was an intimate of both the king and the great writers of her age could have been unable to read.

  Nell is still remembered today as the orange girl who captured the heart of the king.

  Acknowledgments

  My ever patient, laconic, wonderful, wonderful mother, who is part of every word of this book, told me that happiness is feeling like you are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing with the right people. This book has been an adventure in happy. There have been lucky accidents; fortunate coincidences; and, at each turning, unbelievable kindness.

  I would like to thank:

  Meredith Bryan, Eve Ensler, Chris Evatt, Candice Fuhrman, Sandra Gulland, Jainee McCarroll, Shael Norris, Sharon Kay Penman, Leslie Sil-bert, and especially: Dr. Sarah Carpenter, Dr. Roger Savage, and Dr. Olga Taxidou.

  In London:

  Kaleem Aftab, David Babani, Alex Kerr, David Milner, Charlotte Phillips, and Dan Pirrie; the boys: Jack Brough, Jamie Deeks, Dan Johnston, and Ewen Macintosh, who stood in the street outside the flat, cheering as I went off to my first agent meeting and have been cheering every moment since; Adriana Paice, Sadie Speers, and Aron Rollin for quietly understanding it all.

  In Kauai, New York, and Los Angeles:

  Consuelo Costin and Rafael Feldman; Tamee De Silva; Robert Dickstein; Benji, Terri, and Teddy Garfinkle; Dr. Hunter, Sally Moore, and Dr. Deborah Barbour; David Katz; Julie and Koko Kanealii; Max Miles; Neal, Melissa, and Koa Norman; Matt Nicholson for the first page and Naomi Nicholson for her beautiful photographs; Michelle Masuoka; Angela Pycha; Chris Reiner and Koah Viercutter; Amber Sky Stevenson; Edelle Sher; Stuart and Maria Sher; Tora and Kirk Smart; Megan Wong; and especially my wonderful students: Amber and Chloe Garfinkle, Ely Smart, and Wyatt Miles, for every day making me remember the wonder of words.

  In particular I would like to thank: Gaylen and Mike Tracy for their unending kindness; Chad Deal and Wendy Devore for being my family and keeping my room ready; Matt Pycha and Amber Naea for more than I could ever say.

  I would like to thank my brilliant agent, Alexandra Machinist; my fantastic editors, Danielle Friedman and Trish Todd. Thank you all for believing in Nell. Stacy Creamer, Martha Schwartz, Cherlynne Li, Renata DiBiase, Alessandra Preziosi, Marcia Burch, and everyone at Simon & Schuster, who took such beautiful care of this book; David Hansen, who helped me to find Rory Friedman, who helped me to find the wonderful Tamar Rydzinski; and Noah Sher, who helped me to find it all.

  I would like to thank Philippa Gregory, who with extraordinary grace and generosity took such time to encourage and help me, and has been so truly kind. Thank you.

  And my family: Nicky, Tina, and my mother and father. You make everything better, sillier, stronger, safer, funnier, happier, and infinitely more valuable. I love you so much. Thank you.

  TOUCHSTONE READING GROUP GUIDE

  Exit the Actress

  It is seventeenth-century London: England is at peace, Charles II has been restored to the throne, and young Ellen Gwyn has a decision to make. Does she obey her mother and follow her sister Rose into the demi-monde of prostitution or does she risk all and chart her own course? Ellen, better known to history as “Nell,” defies her family and becomes an orange girl, selling fruit at Covent Garden’s famous Theatre Royal. Her risk brings speedy rewards, and at the theatre she soon rises to become the most popular actress in London.

  Outrageous, bright, and brimming with wit, beauty, and grace, she charms all who meet her, quickly befriending poet laureate John Dryden; playwright Aphra Behn; famed libertine Johnny, Earl of Rochester; and the last of the cross-dressing actors, Edward Kynaston. She is courted by men named Charles: leading actor Charles Hart; wealthy, young wit Lord Charles Buckhurst; and finally the most famous Charles of all, the king.

  Weaving back and forth from the theatre to the court to the backstreets of Drury Lane, Exit the Actress follows Ellen, by means of her fictionalized journal entries, letters from the royal family, playbills, recipes, and many other creative and comprehensive documents. It chronicles this engaging and delightful heroine’s meteoric rise from humble orange seller to beloved royal mistress as she rises and falls in the high-stakes game of intrigue that constantly surrounds the king she loves.

  FOR DISCUSSION

  1. Throughout the novel Ellen comes back to the idea of there being multiple Ellens. The last instance of this occurs in the final chapter when she writes, “Stepping forward, I gathered up my many Ellens, like a fisherman pulling in a net, and held them to me for this moment.” What do you think she means by her “many Ellens”? How many can you identify, and what are the defining characteristics of each one?

  2. In a shocking moment early in the novel, a very young Ellen sees her sister Rose being groped in public, which leads to an even more shocking revelation when Rose says, “You think [Mother] did not ask me to be here?” While Ellen is determined not to live her sister’s life, this certainly seems like her mother’s plan for her. Why do you think Ellen is able to escape her fate and Rose is not? Do you think Ellen eventually succeeds in rescuing Rose from her life of prostitution, or is it too little too late?

  3. Who do you think writes under the nom du plume Ambrose Pink? Do you think one of the main characters doubles as the gossip column writer, or is it someone we are never introduced to? Is Ambrose Pink a man or a woman?

  4. Ellen’s relationship with Charles Hart was hardly a casual affair. Hart seems deeply in love with her and showers her with gifts and affection. Why do you think she is never able to completely fall in love with him? If their child had survived, do you think their relationship would have suffered as it did?

  5. “The game is afoot,” says Lord Buckingham, as he makes up his mind to place Ellen as the next maîtresse en titre. Lord Buckingham has many reasons for choosing her, but he makes it clear that he expects her to help increase his standing with the king and perhaps, more important, to push his cousin Lady Castlemaine out of favor. As Buckingham notes, “Her bright, whorish light is going out.” Do you think Ellen could have become one of the king’s mistresses without Lord Buckingham’s help? To what extent do you think she understands her relationship with the king to be a “game”?

  6. Lord Buckhurst pursues Ellen in a manner that is persistent but hardly romantic. He first offers to pay her one hundred pounds a year to be his mistress, and then he declares in a letter: “I have decided. You are to be mine.” Why do you think she still chooses to run off with him and the rest of the “merry mob”? Should she have left Buckhurst earlier than she did, or was she right in trying to save face by not coming back into public life immediately?

  7. Ellen’s attitude toward the queen is a fascinating combination of admiration and pity. Do you think she betrays the queen to the same degree the other mistresses do, or does Ellen redeem herself because of her seemingly u
nique approach to the affair?

  8. John Dryden and Aphra Behn both play prominent roles in the novel and help to place it not only in a historical but also in Ellen’s artistic context. Allusions are made to many of their plays and poems throughout. Discuss Ellen’s prowess as an actress and comedienne in their works. What parts of her personality allow her to excel onstage and why do you think she is so beloved by the patrons of the theatre? What modern actresses would you compare her to?

  9. While Lady Castlemaine plays the villainess throughout the novel, there is no denying that she was a very powerful woman. Her fertility was legendary; and the money, titles, and property she received from the king were enough to last her several lifetimes. Nevertheless, she seems sad as the novel progresses, and she ultimately loses the fight to remain as the king’s mistress once her looks have faded. In what ways is she similar to Ellen and how is she different? Do you think in her role in Charles’s life she was even more important than the queen at times?

  10. Charles II’s letters to his sister Minette, the Madame of France, are brilliant glimpses into the kind of ruler he was. They show vulnerability, indecision at times, and ultimately a playfulness and levity that seem to define his reign. Discuss some of their correspondence. Do you think Minette ever offered a piece of bad advice? How much influence do you think she had over her older brother?

  11. Johnny Rochester provides comic relief throughout the novel, but he also serves as a confidant to both Ellen and Charles. Though he is wittier than most and very well liked, his destructive streak eventually forces his exile. Ellen remains a loyal friend until the end, writing in her final letter to him, “[Charles does] not understand the blackness at the bottom of you…. All I can do is love you with all the light I possess.” What do you think of Johnny Rochester? Why do you think his darker moments are so painful for the king and Ellen to endure? And why do you think he and Ellen get along so well?