| Photos (see all 5 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 3) |
| Derek Hutchinson | ... | Stage Manager | |
| Mark Letheren | ... | Male Emilia / Dickie | |
| Claire Danes | ... | Maria | |
| Billy Crudup | ... | Ned Kynaston | |
| Tom Wilkinson | ... | Betterton | |
| Ben Chaplin | ... | George Villiars, Duke of Buckingham | |
| Hugh Bonneville | ... | Samuel Pepys | |
| Jack Kempton | ... | Call Boy | |
| Alice Eve | ... | Miss Frayne | |
| Fenella Woolgar | ... | Lady Meresvale | |
| David Westhead | ... | Harry | |
| Nick Barber | ... | Nick | |
| Stephen Marcus | ... | Thomas Cockerell | |
| Richard Griffiths | ... | Sir Charles Sedley | |
| Zoe Tapper | ... | Nell Gwynn | |
| Rupert Everett | ... | King Charles II | |
| Edward Fox | ... | Sir Edward Hyde | |
| Robin Dunn | ... | Butler | |
| Isabella Calthorpe | ... | Lady Jane Bellamy | |
| Andy Merchant | ... | 1st Thug | |
| John Street | ... | 2nd Thug | |
| John Tannen | ... | 3rd Thug | |
| Tom Hollander | ... | Sir Peter Lely | |
| Hermione Gulliford | ... | Mrs. Barry | |
| Clare Higgins | ... | Mistress Revels | |
| Madeleine Worrall | ... | Female Emilia | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Nancy Chandler | ... | Angelina Hooker (uncredited) | |
| David Decio | ... | Sir Peter Lelys painter Pupil (uncredited) | |
| James Dodd | ... | Maria's Dresser (uncredited) | |
| Ray Donn | ... | Thug (uncredited) | |
| Sean Francis George | ... | Cassio (uncredited) | |
| Joe Gunn | ... | Chimney sweeper (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Richard Eyre | |||
Writing credits(WGA) | ||
| Jeffrey Hatcher | (play "Compleat Female Stage Beauty") | |
| Jeffrey Hatcher | (screenplay) | |
Produced by | |||
| Rachel Cohen | .... | executive producer | |
| Robert De Niro | .... | producer | |
| Michael Dreyer | .... | co-producer | |
| Richard Eyre | .... | executive producer | |
| Hardy Justice | .... | producer | |
| Michael Kuhn | .... | executive producer | |
| Amir Jacob Malin | .... | executive producer (as Amir Malin) | |
| Malcolm Ritchie | .... | co-executive producer | |
| Jane Rosenthal | .... | producer | |
| James D. Stern | .... | executive producer | |
| Jill Tandy | .... | co-executive producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| George Fenton | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Andrew Dunn | (director of photography) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Tariq Anwar | |||
Casting by | |||
| Celestia Fox | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Jim Clay | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Keith Slote | |||
| Jan Spoczynski | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Caroline Smith | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Tim Hatley | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Roz Abery | .... | makeup artist: dailies | |
| Beverly Binda | .... | hair stylist | |
| Beverly Binda | .... | makeup artist | |
| Jayne Buxton | .... | hair stylist | |
| Jayne Buxton | .... | makeup artist | |
| Julie Dartnell | .... | hair stylist | |
| Julie Dartnell | .... | makeup artist | |
| Helen Johnson | .... | hair stylist | |
| Helen Johnson | .... | makeup artist | |
| Lesley Smith | .... | hair stylist | |
| Lesley Smith | .... | makeup artist | |
| Deborah Taylor | .... | hair stylist | |
| Deborah Taylor | .... | makeup artist | |
| Lisa Westcott | .... | hair designer | |
| Lisa Westcott | .... | makeup designer | |
Production Management | |||
| Meg Clark | .... | post-production supervisor | |
| Joseph Jayawardena | .... | location unit manager | |
| Tim Porter | .... | unit production manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Tariq Anwar | .... | second unit director | |
| Natalie Beer | .... | additional assistant director | |
| Martin Harrison | .... | first assistant director | |
| Finn McGrath | .... | second assistant director | |
| Chris Stoaling | .... | crowd assistant director | |
| Charlie Waller | .... | third assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Joe Alley | .... | carpenter | |
| Les Benson | .... | dressing props | |
| Brian Bovingdon | .... | carpenter | |
| Paul Carpenter | .... | carpenter | |
| Graham Caulfield | .... | drapesman | |
| Matt Chisholm | .... | dressing props | |
| Nadeem Chughtai | .... | scenic artist | |
| Jane Clark | .... | storyboard artist | |
| Graham Cole | .... | supervising carpenter | |
| Peter Collins | .... | carpenter | |
| Emma de Polnay | .... | stand-by art director (as Emma de Polnay) | |
| Gill Ducker | .... | production buyer | |
| Michael Finlay | .... | supervising painter | |
| Gavin Fitch | .... | assistant art director | |
| Robbie Flynt | .... | stand-by stagehand (as Robbie Flint) | |
| Oliver Goodier | .... | draughtsperson | |
| Alan Grenham | .... | supervising painter | |
| Paul Humbles | .... | stand-by props | |
| Barnaby Inman | .... | carpenter (as Barney Inman) | |
| Jonathan Ivall | .... | painter (as John Ivall) | |
| David Jones | .... | chargehand stagehand | |
| Amanda Leggatt | .... | art department runner | |
| Ronald Leighton | .... | carpenter | |
| Kevin Lloyd | .... | stagehand | |
| David Lowery | .... | supervising carpenter | |
| Cathal MacIlwaine | .... | stand-by carpenter | |
| Thomas Martin | .... | construction manager | |
| Tom Martin | .... | construction manager | |
| Philip McDonald | .... | property master (as Phillip McDonald) | |
| James H. McGee | .... | stagehand (as James McGee) | |
| John McGee | .... | carpenter | |
| Eamon McLoughlin | .... | supervising carpenter | |
| Steve Mitchell | .... | scenic artist | |
| Peter Mounsey | .... | painter | |
| Neil Murrum | .... | dressing props | |
| Barry O'Brien | .... | carpenter | |
| John O'Brien | .... | hod carpenter | |
| Roy O'Brien | .... | trainee carpenter | |
| Craig Parratt | .... | carpenter | |
| Michael Pelham | .... | painter | |
| Jason Phelps | .... | carpenter | |
| Khadeeja Rafique | .... | draughtsperson | |
| Zoe Robertson | .... | construction buyer | |
| Tom Roberts | .... | stand-by painter (as Tommy Roberts) | |
| Ray Rose | .... | props storeman | |
| Dave Stachini | .... | chargehand stagehand | |
| Richard Stachini | .... | stagehand | |
| Jeff Sullivan | .... | painter | |
| Paul Turner | .... | stand-by props | |
| Clive Ward | .... | hod painter | |
| Paul Webb | .... | carpenter | |
| Stephen Weston | .... | wood machinist | |
| Matt Whelan | .... | carpenter (as Matthew Whelan) | |
| Derek Whorlow | .... | supervising stagehand | |
Sound Department | |||
| Christopher Ackland | .... | sound effects editor | |
| Tariq Anwar | .... | dialogue editor | |
| Ben Barker | .... | foley editor | |
| Peter Bond | .... | dialogue editor | |
| David Boulton | .... | adr mixer | |
| Gareth Bull | .... | foley mixer | |
| Peter Burgis | .... | foley artist | |
| Paul Carr | .... | adr mixer | |
| Derek Casari | .... | adr engineer | |
| Colin Codner | .... | sound maintenance | |
| Martin Cunningham | .... | sound assistant | |
| Andie Derrick | .... | foley artist (as Andi Derrick) | |
| Jim Greenhorn | .... | production sound mixer | |
| Nigel Heath | .... | adr recordist | |
| Dave Humphries | .... | adr mixer (as David Humphries) | |
| Craig Irving | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Mark Kenna | .... | consultant: Dolby sound | |
| Mark Lafbery | .... | adr mixer | |
| Charleen Richards | .... | adr mixer (as Charleen Richards-Steeves) | |
| Ian Tapp | .... | foley recordist | |
| Andy Walker | .... | dialogue editor | |
| Christopher Wilson | .... | sound re-recording mixer (as Chris Wilson) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Steve Benelisha | .... | assistant special effects technician | |
| Stuart Brisdon | .... | special effects supervisor | |
| Paul Clancy | .... | special effects senior technician | |
| Mark Haddenham | .... | special effects senior technician | |
| David Keen | .... | special effects senior technician | |
| Matthew Roberts | .... | special effects technician | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor | .... | visual effects producer: MPC | |
| Nicolas Aithadi | .... | 3D artist: MPC | |
| Steve Boag | .... | digital title supervisor: Cine Image | |
| Martin Bullard | .... | optical supervisor: titles, Cine Image | |
| Michael Elson | .... | head of production: MPC | |
| Dave Gurney | .... | optical camera: Cine Image | |
| Douglas Larmour | .... | visual effects supervisor: MPC (as Doug Larmour) | |
| Michelle Martin | .... | visual effects coordinator | |
| Andy Middleton | .... | digital matte painter: MPC | |
| Janine Pauke | .... | digital matte painter: MPC | |
| Matthew Symonds | .... | digital compositing: titles, Cine Image | |
| Simon Wicker | .... | senior digital matte painter: MPC | |
Stunts | |||
| Tom Delmar | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Gordon Seed | .... | stunt performer | |
Casting Department | |||
| Vanessa Baker | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Brendan Donnison | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Alex Johnson | .... | assistant casting director | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Sue Bradbury | .... | seamstress | |
| Anthony Brookman | .... | costume assistant | |
| Vandra Howard | .... | stand-by costumer | |
| Jane Leonard | .... | stand-by costumer | |
| Fiona McCann | .... | costume buyer | |
| Caroline Olcesi | .... | costume assistant | |
| David Otzen | .... | stand-by costumer | |
| Nadine Powell | .... | costume trainee | |
| Jackie Thomas | .... | costume assistant (as Jacky Thomas) | |
| Caroline Waterman | .... | assistant costume designer | |
| Hilary Watson | .... | wardrobe mistress | |
| Robert Worley | .... | costume design assistant | |
| Diane Wren | .... | costume assistant (as Dianne Wren) | |
| Allison Wyldeck | .... | costume supervisor | |
| Celia Yau | .... | costume assistant | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Steve Harrow | .... | post-production consultant | |
| Eddy Kolkiewicz | .... | negative cutter | |
| Andy Robinson | .... | negative cutter | |
| Julian Scott | .... | off-line auto conform: Cine Image | |
| Saska Simpson | .... | associate editor | |
| John Stanborough | .... | color grader | |
Music Department | |||
| Geoff Alexander | .... | orchestrator (as Geoffrey Alexander) | |
| Jonathan Allen | .... | music recording engineer: Abbey Road Studios | |
| Sophie Cornet | .... | music editor | |
| Isobel Griffiths | .... | musicians contractor | |
| Nicole Jacob | .... | music coordinator | |
| David Lawson | .... | music programmer | |
| Steve Price | .... | music recording engineer: Angel recording Studios | |
| Bill Silcock | .... | music preparation | |
| Gavyn Wright | .... | orchestra leader | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Graham Dolloery | .... | driver: minibus (as Graham Dollery) | |
| Georg Grohmann | .... | driver: Mr. Wilkinson (as George Grohman) | |
| Lee Isgar | .... | unit driver | |
| Darren Leen | .... | driver: Ms. Danes | |
| Steve Michard | .... | driver: Mr. Eyre (as Steve Mitchard) | |
| Steve Rogers | .... | unit driver | |
| Simon Saunders | .... | unit driver | |
| David Speirs | .... | driver: Mr. Crudup | |
| Darren Leen | .... | driver: Claire Danes (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Alexandra Arlango | .... | assistant: Michael Kuhn | |
| Geraldine Atlee | .... | representative: Qwerty Films | |
| Philip Ball | .... | utility stand-in | |
| Michael Barnes | .... | financial legal services | |
| Alan M. Brunswick | .... | legal counsel: US, Manatt Phelps & Phillips (as Alan Brunswick) | |
| Kofi Burke | .... | production accountant: Qwerty Films | |
| Richards Butler | .... | legal services | |
| Kathryn Craig | .... | head of legal and business affairs: Qwerty Films | |
| Chris Cullum | .... | health and safety officer | |
| Matt Curtis | .... | title designer | |
| Steve Dent | .... | carriages | |
| Thomas Doran | .... | stand-in: Mr. Crudup | |
| Stephen Earner | .... | assistant production accountant | |
| John Ensby | .... | laboratory contact | |
| Kerrie Gant | .... | client liaison: Cine Image | |
| Heidi Gower | .... | floor runner | |
| Sally Grace | .... | additional dialect coach | |
| Andrew Hildebrand | .... | representative: Qwerty Films | |
| Ruth Hodgson | .... | completion guarantor: Film Finances | |
| Karen Jones | .... | script supervisor | |
| Kevin Kolovich | .... | accounting assistant | |
| Lisa Koven | .... | legal counsel: US, Manatt Phelps & Phillips | |
| David Lawson | .... | programmer | |
| Gabby Le Rasle | .... | assistant production coordinator | |
| Claire Lundberg | .... | assistant: Mr. Justice | |
| Scarlett Mackmin | .... | choreographer | |
| Charles McDonald | .... | unit publicist: McDonald & Rutter | |
| Tory Michaels | .... | legal services | |
| Liz Miller | .... | unit publicist: McDonald & Rutter | |
| Sheila Fraser Milne | .... | completion guarantor: Film Finances | |
| Lew Morgan | .... | location security | |
| Sarah Nuttall | .... | representative: Qwerty Films | |
| Kevin O'Shea | .... | insurance services: AON/Albert G. Ruben | |
| Caroline Oxley-Mcleod | .... | unit nurse: Lake District | |
| Richard Philipps | .... | legal services | |
| Jurgen Proschinger | .... | finance manager: Qwerty Films | |
| Sue Quinn | .... | location manager | |
| Simon Sanderson | .... | production runner | |
| Georgiana Sayer | .... | stand-in: Ms. Danes | |
| Joan Schneider | .... | production coordinator | |
| James Shirras | .... | completion guarantor: Film Finances | |
| Sally Jo Sousa | .... | trainer: Spaniel (as Sally Sousa) | |
| Aurelia Thomas | .... | assistant location manager | |
| Dianne Twiddy | .... | production accountant | |
| Joan Washington | .... | dialect coach | |
| Colleen Woodcock | .... | representative: Qwerty Films | |
| Mark Woolley | .... | chief financial officer: Qwerty Films | |
| Tonia Wright | .... | assistant: Michael Dreyer and Richard Eyre | |
| Andrew Golov | .... | studio executive (uncredited) | |
| Sally Jo Sousa | .... | animal coordinator (uncredited) | |
| Cathy Ziehl | .... | studio coordinator (uncredited) | |
Thanks | |||
| Fabrizio Caracciolo | .... | thanks | |
| Jane Hawley | .... | special thanks | |
| Ed Herendeen | .... | special thanks | |
| Jamie Laurenson | .... | special thanks | |
| Marc Masterson | .... | special thanks | |
| Jeffrey Morby | .... | special thanks | |
| Tracey Scoffield | .... | special thanks | |
| Nicholas Wright | .... | special thanks | |
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Before the Great Fire and the Great Plague of the mid-seventeenth century, London slowly, joyously awoke to the end of the Interregnum, that dark period of the evil regicide, Cromwell and his dull and dim son and successor. Theaters shut down during the Protectorate now reopened and the die-hard, dour Puritans either doffed their somber garb and decamped for more favorable vice-free venues or joined the fun.
Director Richard Eyre and script author Jeffrey Hatcher (who wrote the play on which "Stage Beauty" is derived) set the screen with a feast of authentic costumes and an almost palpable ambiance of a great city resurrecting a rich cultural life, at least for those of means.
But, as has been said, the play is the thing and the acting here is uniformly engrossing, indeed superb.
Based more or less on history, the film chronicles an awkward and for many painful evolution of law and theater, the two intertwined. For when Charles II was restored to the throne lost by his father (who also lost something else of even more estimable value), theaters reopened but under an old law that forbade the presence of actresses on the stage. The great female roles of Shakespeare were performed by men, some of whom were the subjects of audience and patron adulation for their skills of gender mimicry.
Ned Keynaston (Billy Crudop) is the leader of the pack, a star of the stage whose Desdemona is the height of his career. Serving as his dresser is Maria (Clair Danes), a frustrated actress who mouths the lines of Desdemona from the side of the stage as Ned wows the punters.
Maria actually gets to act behind Ned's back but in a less than first-line theater, her costume borrowed, to be generous, from the unsuspecting Ned.
What follows is a comedy and a drama as the king (Rupert Everett), at the urging of one of his mistresses, Nell Gynn (newcomer Zoe Tapper) proclaims that women may take on the roles of their sex and the cadre of female impersonators must seek new and gender authentic roles. At first amused, then devastated by a loss of roles, income and prestige, Ned slides to singing bawdy songs in drag to a somewhat low(er) class clientele in a sink run by a foulmouthed harridan. But under the protection of a genuinely odious, rotund and foul Sir Charles (Richard Griffith), Maria becomes the toast of the town for her fine acting.
Sexual attraction equally matched by a moving ambiguity permeates both the roles played by Maria and Ned and their off-stage lives. Maria is in love with Ned who is, at least, potentially bisexual while actually intimate with one of the king's favorites, the second Duke of Buckingham (Ben Chaplin). Buckingham was, in actuality, one of the most complex characters during Charles's two decade exile and then restoration to the throne. A conniver and master manipulator, here his skills are shown as being wholly adapted to surviving in a court attended by intrigue at every turn.
Eyre projects role reversal both with Ned and Maria's theater life and their increasing personal but never simple involvement. Can he make love to a woman? Does he know himself what his orientation is? There is a certain contemporaneity to the artfully acted issues raised in this mid-1600s scenario.
Eyre could not have selected a better cast. Crudop is penetrating as a man whose whole, strange persona is transformed in an instant by a monarch's command. Everett is disarmingly foppish as the Stuart monarch but in a critical scene he reveals his deep, lasting resentment over his father's and his dynasty's fate as he orders women to be allowed to perform. Edward Fox is splendid in short takes as Charles's key minister, Sir Edward Hyde (the Earl of Clarendon but he's never identified with his proper peerage title).
Zoe Tapper may well have studied the life of her character, "the Protestant Whore" (so known and loved by the London underclass to distinguish her from the despised "Catholic Whore" who alternated with Nell for the king's company and body (forget about the queen-she doesn't even make an appearance here). She's crude, raw, vulgar, sentimental, loyal and cunning - she IS Nell Gynn.
Hugh Bonneville is the randy, compulsive diarist Sir Samuel Pepys, father of the Royal Navy, here a stage door Johnny, a voyeur. Ben Chaplin as the Duke of Buckingham is just the right admixture of randiness and a healthy regard for the penalty that can be incurred by going too far over the edge of conventionality. And Tom Wilkinson as Ned's and then Maria's stage impresario combines business acumen with a soft human touch.
But special kudos go to Clair Danes - this is her best performance to date. She runs the gamut of emotions from helpless subservience to repressive laws to sprightly awakening of her worth to deep confusion about her priorities and needs. She inhabits the role of Maria with skill and grace. An Oscar-worthy display.
The score is fine, briskly and authentically complementing the story. And for the first time ever in a movie a king of England is shown cavorting in the royal rack with his mistress while six adorable King Charles Spaniels look on.
10/10