Scandalous Treat at the Grand

WCCC | Wolverhampton City Centre Company

It may be nearly 50 years since the Profumo Affair but at last night's opening of Keeler at the Grand Theatre Wolverhampton there was clearly still an interest in this piece of social history.

The play shows how Stephen Ward introduced Christine Keeler, Mandy Rice Davies and others to ministers, members of the aristocracy and diplomats encouraging a series of inappropriate relationships.

The play, based on Christine Keeler’s 2001 autobiography 'The Truth At Last', reveals the sensational inside story of the biggest political sex scandal to rock the British nation in the 20th century.

Paul Nicholas, who also directed the play, was convincing as Stephen Ward the puppet master and Svengali-like socially ambitious osteopath behind the manipulation of very young girls. Whilst Alice Coulthard had star quality as the naive Christine who matured as the play evolved through the swinging sixties, the cold war, a court case, suicide and eventually even the downfall of a prime minister.

Definitely worth a visit to the Grand. My friend and I had an excellent pre-theatre supper at Johnny Spice in Queen Street and having had three (or was it four) platefuls of Indian cuisine for under £10 we were in plenty of time for the performance.

More information on www.grandtheatre.info and www.johnnyspice.com