Infamous by April De Angelis. Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London to September 2023.

3***: William Russell

The story of Emma Hamilton is certainly worth telling and this three-hander by April de Angelis gives the Quentins, mother Caroline, daughter Rose, plenty of chances to display their skills. The same goes for Riad Richie who gets a couple of amusing parts to play – a lusting servant making advances to his mistress and a rather gauche young Frenchman. But in terms of storytelling, it is a truly muddled affair with the cast given lines to deliver that do not sound as if they could have come from the mouths of anybody in the 1815 let alone 1798. Emma was, of course, a grande horizontale who married well and became Lady Hamilton after which she fell in love with Horatio Nelson, possibly England’s greatest national hero, married him, had his child and after his death was cruelly treated by his appalling family. She took to drink, grew fat and, abandoned by the nation he had asked to take care of her, died in poverty in France. Emma was kind, Emma was extravagant, Emma was a woman abused by men. Hamilton was an elderly widower and she became his mistress after being passed over as a piece of flesh by her former sponsor, his nephew, who had acquired a wealthy wife and wanted to dispose, possibly temporarily, of this now unwanted woman. Hamilton, however, fell in love, married her and Emma, famous as a great beauty, became a great lady in Naples. There are some funny lines, director Michael Oakley does his best with what he has been given, the set by Fotini Dimou is handsome and does a simple but very effective change between acts. Caroline Quentin makes a gloriously sad ravaged Emma stuck in Calais remembering the Attitudes she used to strike as after dinner entertainment for men – suggestive poses as classical figures – but gets less out of playing Emma’s monstrous old mother Mrs Cadogan who was for some years Lady Hamilton’s maid. Rose Quentin is an alluring Emma, but it is as the hapless Horatia struggling to get her mother to stay sober and stop spending money she does not have that she comes into her own. The way the play is constructed it consists not only of people telling other people things they already know but also in language they would never have used. The mother and daughter Quentin double act, however, saves the day and Riad Richie’s louche Vincenzo making a pass at his mistress when she was a great lady in Naples is very. DeAngelis’ play does Emma’s story scant justice – like poor Nellie she was left to starve by an ungrateful world.

Cast

Caroline Quentin -Emma Hamilton/Mrs Cadogan.

Rose Quentin – Emma Hamilton. Horatia Nelson.

Riad Richie – Vincnezo/Jacques Fournier.

Creatives

Director –Michael Oakley.

Designer – Fotini Dimou.

Lighting Designer –Christopher Nairne.

Composer & Sound Designer – Beth Duke.

Choreographer – Mandy Demetriou.

Production photograph – Steve Gregson.