In Good King Charles's Golden Days

In Good King Charles's Golden Days
Written by	George Bernard Shaw
Characters	Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland Queen Catherine of Braganza King Charles II George Fox Godfrey Kneller Isaac Newton Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth Nell Gwynn
Date premiered	12 August 1939
Place premiered	Malvern Festival Theatre, UK
Original language	English

In Good King Charles's Golden Days is a play by George Bernard Shaw, subtitled A True History that Never Happened.

It was written in 1938-39 as an "educational history film" for film director Gabriel Pascal in the aftermath of Pygmalion's cinema triumph. The cast of the proposed film were to be sumptuously clothed in 17th century costumes, far beyond the resources of most theatre managements. However, by the time of its completion in May 1939, it had turned into a Shavian Restoration comedy.

The title of the play is taken from the first line of the traditional song "The Vicar of Bray".

A discussion play, the issues of nature, science, power and leadership are debated between King Charles II ('Mr Rowley'), Isaac Newton, George Fox and the artist Godfrey Kneller, with interventions by three of the king's mistresses (Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland; Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth; and Nell Gwynn). The short second Act involves Charles in conversation with his queen, Catherine of Braganza.

Billed as 'A history lesson in three scenes by Bernard Shaw', the first production was at the Malvern Festival Theatre on 12 August 1939, directed by H K Ayliff and designed by Paul Shelving.

Cast:

Ayliff's production first transferred to the Streatham Hill Theatre on 15 April 1940, then to the New Theatre in London on 9 May 1940.

James Agate, writing for The Sunday Times, noted that the play was the best to have "come from the Shavian loom since Methuselah".

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