A new play inspired by an imagined meeting between two great leaders of the women’s suffrage campaign is touring the South West and will be hosted by Torquay Museum on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th November.
The Cause depicts the explosive meeting of minds when Millicent Fawcett and Emmeline Pankhurst come together at a time when campaigns for women’s rights were at their most revolutionary & embattled.
Written by playwright Natalie McGrath, and directed by Josie Sutcliffe, The Cause explores the struggle, and the effects of campaigning for a cause by different methods. There was a divide between the violent direct action of the suffragettes and the peaceful constitutional means of the suffragists.
The play is produced by Dreadnought South West, a charity which connects individuals and communities through telling great and courageous stories about women. With funding from Arts Council England, The Cause will tour the South West. The production is led by an all-female creative team, cast and crew and aims to reflect the diversity and challenges women face in contemporary society.
Director Josie Sutcliffe said: “This play considers the impact of a lifetime of political campaigning on an individual, asking: ‘How far would you go for what you believe in?’ Many women gave up a great deal: home, family, children, and in some cases their own lives, to join the suffrage campaign. We hope that The Cause will provide a stimulus for debates on gender inequality, democracy and citizenship amongst many different groups within the communities we will visit.”
Playwright Natalie McGrath said: “This tour feels timely with the current energy and visibility of women’s rights and gender equality campaigning that is taking place, and the centenary of the first votes for some women. As we developed the work, we met many women who have been campaigning for a long time. I really felt those stories that were shared with us at Dreadnought very deeply, and they have emerged as being at the heart of this play about Millicent Fawcett and Emmeline Pankhurst.”
The Cause is playing at Torquay Museum at 7.30pm on Friday 9th November and at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 10th November. Tickets are £12 each, with concessions £10. Tickets can be booked by contacting Torquay Museum on 01803 293975.
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