With an election coming up, what better time to remember the first woman elected to Parliament? Constance Markievicz was elected in 1918 in the first election in which women could vote, and Lynx Theatre and Poetry are bringing Jacqueline Mulhallen’s “stunning and evocative” play about Constance and her sister, Eva Gore-Booth, to the Bread and Roses Theatre in Clapham.
‘Rebels and Friends’ is directed by William Alderson and tells Constance and Eva’s story using over 500 images, poetry, Irish music, and dancing choreographed by Sian Williams, Master of Dance at the Globe Theatre and choreographer of BBCTV’s Wolf Hall. The new production has been described as ‘Authentic, stirring and poignant’ and ‘Skilfully written, produced and performed’, and is on for two nights on 17th and 18th of November.
Jacqueline Mulhallen, herself the daughter of an Irish emigrant, said “It is staggering that this women are being erased from history. I well know that a lot of the history of Ireland’s struggle for independence is not known to people in this country, whether they have an Irish or British background, and I wanted to bring it to life through these sisters who were not only intimately involved in that struggle, but also major figures in our history.’ Constance was leader of the Dublin Easter Rising and became the first female Cabinet Minister in the World in the (illegal) Irish Dail. Eva was a poet, pacifist, trade unionist and radical suffragist who inspired Christabel Pankhurst to found the suffragettes.
William Alderson, the director, said ‘I wanted to match the rich texture of the sisters’ lives with a richness of production, so we have used archive and location images, music and dance to give the events of the time a powerful presence on the stage.’ Audiences certainly seem to like this production, with reviewers calling it ‘expertly directed’ (Morning Star), and ‘Powerful, imaginative, a tour de force duet of acting and dancing, beautifully choreographed…superb’ (Counterfire). Audiences too are regularly sending comments such as ‘excellent…lots to inspire’, ‘absolutely tremendous’, ‘a fantastic play and great performances’, and ‘imaginative and captivating’.
Rebels and Friends is at the Bread & Roses Theatre, Clapham on 17th & 18th November 97.30 p.m.) and then at the South London Irish Club on 24th (4.30 p.m.) & 25th November (8 p.m.)