17 to 25 April 2026
In the Studio

Playhouse Creatures
by April de Angelis

directed by Gaby Bowring

This production contained strong language and themes that some may find upsetting - this included scenes depicting an abortion attempt and referencing animal cruelty.

It’s 1663, and the London elite are enjoying the latest ‘novelty’ in English theatre: the Actress.

Playhouse Creatures follows the precarious lives of these first female players, as they discover the consequences of their arrival upon the professional stage. Amid lively backstage antics - and fierce rivalries - they each revel in a newfound financial independence, whilst contending with both sexual exploitation and empowerment, onstage and off.

Told with warmth and wit, this moving play rejoices in the camaraderie of these Restoration actresses, embracing both the comic and the tragic in their bold pursuit of personal and creative freedom.