‘NINA, Queen of Bohemia’ brings Nina Hamnett (1890-1956) back to her home town of Tenby to celebrate her as the extraordinary painter she was. Daughter of Colonel George Hamnett and contemporary of Augustus and Gwen John, once feted, now overlooked, here she tells her own story over several gins in this tragic, comic account of her life.

“I had artistic gifts, my dear, but life, love and cafe society proved too enticing.”

Vanessa Rosenthal’s one-woman show opens up the life of the talented, but too little appreciated painter through her typically indiscrete and outrageous ramblings in one of her favourite watering holes in Fitzrovia.  She painted, slept and drank with many of the best and most provocative artistic figures of the early 20th century in London and Paris and left an all too sparse legacy of brilliant work - portraits inevitably, for she specialised, in art, as in life, in people - the more extraordinary the better.

Vanessa Rosenthal is an actor and playwright whose work, on radio and stage, has particularly featured the dramas of real lives - from BBC Radio 4’s Writing The Century series, which she originated, to writers such as Jane Austen, Edward Thomas and the kindertransport poet, Karen Gershon.

‘Nina Queen of Bohemia’ is Rosenthal’s first study of a painter.

As actor, Vanessa has worked in regional theatres up and down the country. She was last in Wales professionally at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, in an English translation of the Mabinogion playing Rhagneth. Her fascination in Nina Hamnett dates back several years to her first view of her in her green dress in Roger Fry’s iconic portrait. She decided to find out more.

The play is performed by Vanessa Rosenthal at the museum at 2 pm on Saturday, March 17. The performance runs for about 45 minutes.  Tickets are available from the museum at £5.

Just contact the museum on (01834) 842809 if you are interested in attending.