HISTORY OF THE PRODUCTION

WELLINGTON was originally staged at the Rose Theatre, Fulham in 1991 and received wide press acclaim.

The present Duke of Wellington subsequently invited Martin Wimbush to perform it at Apsley House, the Wellington Museum, where it was enthusiastically received for a number of performances. The play was then presented at the Century Theatre Keswick, the National Portrait Gallery and Oxford University.

In 2002 he was invited back to Apsley House to perform the play for the 150th anniversary of the first Duke's death and in 2004 he was asked to play the Duke of Wellington to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the founding of King’s College London.

The play has recently been staged at the Rye Arts Festival, Memorial Theatre Broadstairs and the Barn Theatre, Smallhythe, Kent.

SOME LETTERS OF APPRECIATION...

Martin Wimbush meets the present
Duke of Wellington

"I felt you gave a really wonderful interpretation of the Duke as an old man reminiscing about his life; a rounded, moving picture, with so much introduced in so short a time. You looked surprisingly like him and showed why everybody loved him in old age"
The Countess of Longford

"May I congratulate you on a sparkling performance last Wednesday. In company with the Duke & Duchess of Wellington and the Countess of Longford we must have seemed like the grand jury seated on the back row in judgement. We were, however, all unanimous in our praises and, in fact, His Grace was enthusiastic about my idea to stage it at Apsley House"
Jonathan Voak, House Curator, Apsley House

"We very much enjoyed the show the other evening. I thought your performance was highly accomplished... the script was lively and it was an altogether enjoyable evening"
Richard Harries, The Bishop of Oxford

"I saw the play last night and was utterly captivated by it. You conveyed - brilliantly I think - the complexity of this stern commander, who could be so sensitive, vulnerable and loveable underneath. Thank you for such a magical and thought-provoking evening"
Mike Paterson, Military Expert

"It's a very good play and beautifully epitomises Wellington's career and attitudes... your performance is a masterly evocation of a man and his period"
Vere Lorimer, Television Director

"Thank you so much for the splendid production of Wellington, which was so much enjoyed by our audience. I greatly enjoyed it myself, and felt that you have deep sympathy for him"
John Cooper, Head of Education, National Portrait Gallery

"I felt that I must write to say how much I enjoyed your Wellington performance. I found it moving, always interesting and in total a most absorbing experience"
Alan Shallcross, Television Producer