Norah Lopez-Holden stars in dual roles playing Queen Victoria and Emily Swinscow in 'The Flea', a new play on now at East London's Yard Theatre.
The play is based on a queer Victorian scandal that rocked a nation and is described as "a retelling of the Cleveland Street Scandal that shook England—from the streets of Bermondsey to the halls of Buckingham Palace—featuring a flea, a horse, a detective, a queen, a pimp, a god, and Charlie, the telegraph boy who knelt before the Crown."
It tells the story of Charlie Swinscow, a poor lad who is arrested for theft when he is caught carrying a huge amount of cash, but it transpires "he didn’t steal. He just let a lord have a go between his legs". Norah's character Emily Swinscow is an Bermondsey seamstress and Charlie's mother.
The play, written by James Fritz, has won critical praise -
“A haute couture historical fever dream...a dissection of an entire era" - The Reviews Hub - ★★★★★
"Wildly imaginative punk retelling of the Cleveland Street scandal" - The Stage - ★★★★
With many singling out Norah's performance.
"Norah Lopez-Holden is absolutely brilliant as a comically repressed, perennially indignant Queen Victoria, softening hilariously after an orgasmic encounter with the Almighty" - WhatsOnStage
"The cast are superb...Norah Lopez-Holden in particular, brings heart as Emily Swinscow and laughs as an exasperated Queen Victoria." - The Stage
"Norah Lopez Holden has delicious, queenly gravitas here, and is a sensitive guardian of the show’s heart in her second role as Charlie’s mother." - The Reviews Hub
Book tickets now. On until 2nd December .
Norah Lopez-Holden is available for voiceovers from Anthea Represents. Click her image for her profile page and voiceover showreel.
