- 120 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Women, Power and Politics: Then (NHB Modern Plays)
About This Book
A collection of wide-ranging and ambitious short plays reflecting the complexities of women and political power in the United Kingdom.
The four plays published here look back to the moments in history when women possessed - or achieved - power, and what they did with it.
The Milliner and the Weaver by Marie Jones
Henrietta from Belfast and Elspeth from Dublin are unlikely comrades. The Suffragette movement binds them together, but as the question of Home Rule divides Ireland, will national politics tear them apart?
The Lioness by Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Elizabeth I described herself as Queen, King and Prince, thriving in a male world, and saving the country from debt and wars. Self-proclaimed wife and mother to England, her virgin status was part of her myth, as she consistently refused marriage, citing herself as already taken. Here we see Elizabeth as both a woman and a leader as she encounters John Knox, the ultimate misogynist, and Essex, her favourite.
Handbagged by Moira Buffini
For over a decade Margaret Thatcher met the Queen for a weekly audience. With all her previous Prime Ministers the Queen enjoyed a fairly informal relationship, but with Mrs Thatcher, things were different. Handbagged speculates on the relationship between these two very powerful and private women.
Bloody Wimmin by Lucy Kirkwood
The protests at Greenham Common were a political landmark of the eighties. But how much did Greenham impact on the fight for nuclear disarmament, the progress of the women's movement and the culture of protest itself?
Frequently asked questions
Information
MRS THATCHER (T). She is very elderly. She prepares to address us. |
T | Freedom and democracy They are things worth dying for And we must never Never stop resisting those Who would take them from us. The act of resistance is our defining act as human beings. To say ‘No, I will not stand for that,’ To say ‘No, I will not do this thing you ask of me because I know it’s wrong.’ To say ‘No, I won’t collude, collaborate, negotiate. I will have no part of it.’ To shout out to the enemies of freedom ‘You are wrong.’ To resist, whatever the cost Even if it be your life. To say ‘No’ This is courage This is true integrity. I would be proud if this word defined me: |
‘NO’ I’d like a chair I don’t need one but I’d like one I will not ask for one If I wait, they will notice They will bring me one One of the little people One of the men Dancing around me in their suits Neat cuffs, ties flapping in the wind. Holding their documents like babies The men I could pin them wriggling with my gaze And t... |
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Contents
- Introduction by Indhu Rubasingham
- Original Production
- The Milliner and the Weaver
- The Lioness
- Handbagged
- Bloody Wimmin
- About the Authors
- Copyright and Performing Rights Information