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Naked Ambition Lucky Fin Productions Lichfield Garrick Studio *** THIS is the
final part of Rachael Pennell’s Georgian trilogy which started in
revolutionary France with
Chocolateria Hysteria,
drifted among the actors at Drury Lane Theatre in
Acting on Instinct
and finally moved backstage with
Naked Ambition. The ambition comes in the shape of Lizzie,
(played by writer and director Rachael Pennell) dresser to the famous
actress Mrs Robinson. She sees more to life than looking after actresses
and wants to go upon the stage herself. Her friend Emma, (played sympathetically by
Carrie Hill) would be happy with just a job in the theatre. Eventually though both find positions which are,
should we say, horizontal, as both end up on the game progressing to
long term mistresses with Emma in particular handed around before sent
off out of the way of his impending marriage by her latest protector,
Charles Greville as a sort of present to Uncle William in Naples, Sir
Charles Hamilton, the British Envoy. Elizabeth Armistead eventually married one of her
clients the politician Charles Fox while Emma progressed from mistress
to wife of Sir William, becoming Lady Hamilton the future mistress of
Lord Nelson. Lizzie died a wealthy woman with a state pension
while Emma died an alcoholic in penury in France.
In Pennell’s play we follow the women’s progress,
with all the men played by Jonathan Greaves and Robert Joyce, through
the eyes of the ghost of Charlotte Charke, (Hannah Mason) a notorious
actress and transvestite of dubious sexuality and Annie Talbot. Charke, who died aged 47, had set up the first
puppet theatre which was hardly designed for children. The Lord
Chancellor was given the power of censorship over the theatre in 1737
and puppets were a way round his rather puritanical view of all things
thespian. Talbot, (Louise Sweeney) served five years in the
Royal Navy disguised as a man and became known as Powder Monkey Annie. Tying in the two parallel true life stories of
Lizzie and Emma, which are both colourful and complicated is a daunting
task and much had to be missed out by necessity but there is enough
there to get the flavour of the story. The second act, when the scene has been set, is
clearer to follow although the production would be helped by an
injection of pace. The play is a collection of short scenes and
perhaps running one into the other without what are sometimes long
pauses in-between would give the action more momentum. Roger Clarke
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