A Young Lady of Fashion
by Nick Corley and Corliss Preston
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About
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A YOUNG LADY OF FASHION is a Fun, Adventurous and Romantic Romp through 1764 Europe seen through the eyes of a Vivacious, Clever and Fashionable Irish lass, Cleone Knox. With her personal “Diary” as your guide, she will win your hearts navigating through a Tumultuous and Exciting Journey filled with Love, Disappointments, Realizations and Regrets as she learns about life from the Eclectic, Eccentric, Charming and sometimes Dangerous people that fill her world. Bridgerton meets Nicholas Nickleby (play).
William Hogarth The Wedding of Stephen Beckingham and Mary Cox 1769 The Met Public Domain
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This piece is written for the actors to drive the story and should not be encumbered by the restrictions of realism. In this play, “Truth” has been filtered through the eyes of a twenty year old girl with dramatic and romantic notions. The playing of this piece should reflect this. Events are felt in an even greater way. The audience is her “diary” which she uses to record and confide her version of events.
The sets should be sparse and suggestive, providing a flavor of a country and time, with a few easy to change set pieces to define the playing space. Lights and sound are used to provide further definition. The costumes and wigs provide the true period flavor, especially the changes that are done on stage.
List of Character Breakdown
4 Female identified and 4 Male Identified – Diverse Casting Encouraged and Appreciated
- Actress 1: Miss Cleone Knox
- Actress 2: Betsy (Cleone’s personal maid”; Miss Delia Darcy; Madame d’Harcourt’s Page; Nanette
- Actress 3: Cousin Charlotte Knox; Mrs. Darcy; Madame d’Harcourt; Italian Abbess
- Actress 4: Mrs. Stewart; Madame de Brinoy; Nun’s Mother
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- Actor 1: David Ancaster; Mr. Sutcliff; Monsieur de Guys
- Actor 2: Edward Knox (Cleone’s father); Figure in Black Cape
- Actor 3: Ned Knox (Cleone’s brother), Tom McMullan; Priest
- Actor 4: Cousin Noll Knox; Lord Mandrake; Marquis do Belie; Stefano
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Cleone’s World
ACT 1 – Ireland
Spring/Summer
David Ancaster, Ceone Knox, Ned Knox, Edward Knox, Cousin Charlotte Knox, Cousin Ned Knox, Tom Mullagan, Mrs. Stewart
ACT 2 – England
Summer/Autumn
Cleone Knox, Ned Knox, Edward Knox,Mrs. Stewart, Mrs. Darcy, Miss Delia Darcy, Lord Mandrake, Mr. Sutcliff, David Ancaster
ACT 3 – France
Autumn/Winter
Cleone Knox, Monsuir de Guys, Madame de Brinoy, Marquis de Belie, Madame d’Harcourt, Madame d’Harcourt’s Page, Ned Knox, Edward Knox, David Ancaster
ACT 4 – Italy
Spring/Summer
Cleone Knox, Stephano, Edward Knox, Madame de Brinoy, Nanette, Ned Knox, Figure in Black, Italian Abbess, Nun’s Mother, Priest, David Ancaster
Set and Costume Requirements
The set should be minimal and accommodate “change” easily. The furniture that is used should be multipurpose. The actors should be able to manipulate everything easily since they do all the scene changes. The bed transforms into the coach and should be mobile.
The costumes are how the journey is truly tracked. But again, easy to change. Cleone might be the only person who wears “lace up” anything and only when she is dressing on stage to keep some form of authenticity of the “times” and the fashion thereof.