WHERE?: Kiln Theatre, Kilburn hosted by Jim Carter

WHEN?: Sunday 13 March, ahead of the 25 March dropping of season 2 on Netflix

Asked about the appeal of this show to its worldwide audience of 85 million, Rosheuvel who plays Queen Charlotte (pictured 5th from left) talks about the ensemble feel of a large cast with a theatrical background.

• Read on for reasons including everything we know about series 2 available from Friday 25 March 2022

Rosheuvel (A Christmas Carol, Old Vic) says: ‘The beauty of this cast for me is that we all know that we are doing a show about a single mum with 8 kids. Our theatre backgrounds really lend themselves to the ensemble feel of it.’

This Q&A is a fundraiser for this north London venue hosted by Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), who met his wife Imelda Staunton in a National Theatre production of Guys and Dolls, and whose daughter Bessie Carter is in the Bridgerton cast.

The 2nd series of Bridgerton began filming in March and Coughlan (Derry Girls), who is unmasked as the mystery gossip columnist Lady Whistledown at the end of the 1st season, says: ‘We got together recently for a screening of the 1st episode of the 2nd series and normally actors are concerned with their own performance but we were all screaming how brilliant it was.’

The crew found it funny how Coughlan would slip between her own Irish accent on set when not shooting and into the Regency era English when the camera was on. ‘I’m the complete opposite to Lady Gaga in many ways. Certainly the opposite of method acting.’

Coughlan says season 2 is a ‘different type of love story’. ‘It’s absolutely the same world of Bridgerton but it’s so different and we have a new lead.’ Of her own Featherington family, she says: ‘We have some fun stuff this time.’

That new lead – Jonathan Bailey – is preparing to open in the West End in the revival of Mike Bartlett’s play COCK opposite Taron Egerton.

Filming of season 2 started in March 2021 during lockdown and Andoh (Leave Taking, Bush Theatre) said there was a pressure not to bring Covid onto set but also how secure they felt having daily tests.

Luke Thompson (Oresteia, Almeida) plays 2nd son Benedict and was asked by a member of the audience how he felt by the hints in season 1 that his character might be gay.

He says: ‘I think you have to allow an element of mystery to a character. We’ll see. I think there’s a lovely openness about Benedict and he’s really fun to play.’

Bessie Carter plays Prudence Featherington, older sister of Coughlan’s Penelope, and refers to the colourful clothes they wear as ‘like a pack of highlighters’.

Martins Imhangbe (Death Of A Salesman, Young Vic) plays boxer Will Mondrich, a character based on the real life Bill Richmond. ‘He was the first black boxing superstar in London and was American.’ A personal trainer helped him build his physique and there was a noticeable change between episodes two and eight. ‘I was getting quite hench,’ he says.

Coughlan explains that they did not know at the time of filming that modern music would be used in the ballroom scenes, adding to the unique Bridgerton worldbuilding. Andoh quips: ‘Some of us would never have known the music of Ariana Grande was being used.’

It’s not all glamour though – for Ruth Gemmell who plays single mother Violet, Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton, remembers shooting in weather so cold when they had to pretend it was warm that hairdryers were used to remove frost from hedges.

The evening ends with Jim Carter auctioning memorabilia in aid of this fundraiser.

• Picture via Facebook courtesy Kiln Theatre Tickets Watch Bridgerton
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