The Ministry of Pleasure. Craig Baxter

Amid the splendours and pretensions of the royal court, the Earl of Rochester impresses Charles II with his irreverence and plain speech. So much so, that the monarch gives him the task of creating a ‘ministry of pleasure', thus liberating him to tour the country in search of all manner of delights.Featuring some of Rochester's most infamous poems, The Ministry of Pleasure opened at the Latchmere Theatre, London in June 2004.