Fresh
The attraction to Stage Beauty is that it is just as much a campy comedy as it is an elegant drama.
Kathy Cano Murillo, Arizona Republic
Stage Beauty
She was the first of her kind. He was the last of his.
2004 · 1h 46m · R
Comedy, Romance
Directed by
Richard Eyre
Overview
Humble Maria, who outfits top London theater star Ned Kynaston, takes none of the credit for the male actor's success at playing women. And because this is the 17th century, Maria, like other females, is prohibited from pursuing her dream of acting. But when powerful people support her, King Charles II lifts the ban on female stage performers. And just as Maria aided Ned, she needs his help to learn her new profession.
Director and cast
- Richard Eyre Director
- Derek Hutchinson as Stage Manager
- Mark Letheren as Male Emelia/Dickie
- Claire Danes as Maria
- Billy Crudup as Ned Kynaston
- Tom Wilkinson as Betterton
- Ben Chaplin as George Villiars, Duke of Buckingham
- Hugh Bonneville as Samuel Pepys
- Jack Kempton as Call Boy
- Fenella Woolgar as Lady Meresvale
- David Westhead as Harry
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Rotten
It's a Restoration romantic comedy that struggles with the romance and isn't nearly comic enough.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Fresh
Has a weird, compelling energy, fueled by a deliciously dynamic cast, a cheerfully bawdy and odd story line and a refreshing, impossible romance.
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald
Fresh
Even if playwright Jeffrey Hatcher was a bit too tied up in his original play, there's no denying the wonderful wit at its center.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Fresh
While Eyre's direction is somewhat squarely theatrical, his sense both of period and the theatrical milieu is powerful.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
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