Synopsis

A smoky London coffee house, where wit and scandal flow as freely as the wine.

John Wilmot, the rakish Earl of Rochester, swaggers onto the scene, his razor-sharp tongue primed for mischief. Unrepentant and utterly magnetic, he draws us into a world of Restoration excess, where poetry and debauchery intertwine. As Rochester careens between the royal court and the city’s brothels, he finds himself increasingly obsessed with Elizabeth Barry, an aspiring actress whose raw talent ignites his passion. Their tumultuous affair unfolds against a backdrop of political intrigue and artistic ferment, with King Charles II alternately indulging and banishing his most brilliant and troublesome courtier.

Jeffreys’ play is a heady mix of bawdy humour and profound melancholy, which explores artistic integrity, self-destruction, and the price of freedom. The witty, often lyrical dialogue crackles with energy, while the structure – punctuated by Rochester’s direct addresses to the audience – creates a sense of complicity and unease. Through Rochester’s journey, the play examines the tension between genius and conformity in a society on the cusp of the Enlightenment.