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August 15, 2025 24 mins

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Celebrity gossip has NEVER been juicer than this. 

Like, literally. It’s the 1660s. We just invented celebrities last week.

Pepys and Valentino attend the opening night performance of The Maiden Queen at the King's Theatre Company, on invite by actress Nell Gwyn. After the show, they encounter many major players in the Restoration Era theatre scene – including King Charles II himself. Rivalries are exposed, old lovers are scorned, and Valentino begins to realize the intricacies of these proto-celebrities' lives are more complicated than he could have ever imagined...

S1 of The Peek Stars: 

Samuel Pepys – Ethan Peña Mock

The Stranger / Valentino – Charlie B. Foster

Jane Birch – Melissa Bautista

This episode also guest stars:

Francesca Pinilla as Nell Gwyn 

Matthew Cubillos as Charles Hart

James Kenna as Sir Thomas Killigrew

Aaron Dorelien as Sir William Davenant 

Eunan Cannon as The Stagehand

James Carlos Lacey as King Charles II

Jacqueline McKenna as Mary Knep

Alex Ramirez Cannon as Thomas Betterton

Jason Maina as George Villiers

Major Curda as Edward Kynaston 

with additional voices provided by the above ensemble, Lee Melillo, and Melissa Bautista

Also featured in S1 of The Peek are: 

Anna Mayo, Kana Seiki, Celeste Samson, & Zachary Harrison Poli

Written and Directed by Lee Melillo

Additional Script Edits by Charlie B. Foster 

Executive Produced by Anna Mayo & Lee Melillo

Associate Produced by Adeline Blue

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Episode transcripts here: thepeekwithsamuelpepys.com/transcripts

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