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Act Three: At Work and At Play

Lucy Worsley looks at some remarkable women of the Restoration period, including actress Nell Gwyn, writer Aphra Behn and soldier Christian Davies.

Lucy Worsley explores the lives of some of the most remarkable women of the age, including writers, actresses, travellers and scientists.

Against a backdrop of religious and political turmoil, the rise of print culture, the rapid growth of London, the burgeoning scientific revolution and the country's flourishing trading empire, she meets a host of female mavericks who took advantage of the extraordinary changes afoot to challenge the traditional male bastions of society.

Women like Nell Gwyn, the most famous of a new generation of actresses; Aphra Behn, the first professional female writer; and Christian Davies, who disguised herself as a man to fight as a soldier - all of them gained notoriety and celebrity, challenging the inequalities of the age. As Lucy discovers, these women's attitudes, ambitions and achievements were surprisingly modern.

1 hour

Music Played

  • Gotan Project

    Queremos Paz

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Lucy Worsley
Executive Producer Emma Hindley
Series Producer Nick Gillam-Smith
Director Eleanor Scoones
Director Eleanor Scoones

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