Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre is to stage Elizabeth Robins’s rarely performed play Votes for Women as part of its season of work focused around empowerment.
Opening to coincide with International Women’s Day, Votes for Women premièred in 1907, 11 years before women were given the power to vote through the implementation of the Representation of the People Act. It explores the political movement of suffrage and the discussions that took place in women’s homes.
There will be an 11-strong cast, six of whom have appeared at the New Vic before. Three were in Playhouse Creatures by April De Angelis, the first play in the empowerment season. Hannah Edwards who played Nell Gwynn is Miss Christabel Pankhurst. Anna Kirke who played Doll in Playhouse Creatures and Mrs Wilberforce in Graham Linehan’s The Ladykillers at the New Vic in 2015 will play Mrs Heriot. Polly Lister who played Mrs Betterton in Playhouse Creatures and took the title role in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen at the Staffordshire theatre-in-the-round in 2016 will play Miss Vida Levering.
Rebecca Brewer who was in George Bernard Shaw’s Widowers’ Houses at the New Vic in 2013 will play Mrs Freddy Tunbridge. Elizabeth Elvin who was in the 2015 Hoard Festival at the New Vic—a five-week festival of new work celebrating the Staffordshire Hoard—will play Lady John Wynnstay. Hugh Simon who played Henry Drummond in Jerome Lawrence and Robert E Lee’s Inherit The Wind in 2014 and Milton in Philip Goulding’s A Fine Bright Day Today in 2012 will play St John Greatorex.
Danielle Henry will play Annie Kenney, Kieran Hill is the Hon Geoffrey Stoner, George Howard will play the Hon Richard Farnborough, Lowri Izzard is Jean Dunbarton and Jonathan Markwood takes the role of Lord John Wynnstay.
The cast will be joined by a community company of 23 women and men from north Staffordshire.
The New Vic’s artistic director Theresa Heskins has adapted and directs. Assistant director is Ellie Taylor, Dawn Allsopp is the designer, Daniella Beattie is lighting designer and Alex Day is sound designer.
Votes for Women runs from Tuesday 6 until Saturday 24 March (press night Thursday 8 March).