A new play about Wimbledon’s suffragette movement will open in Wimbledon Library on Monday.
Attic Theatre’s The Rebellious Women of Wimbledon will play in libraries, schools and community centres throughout south west London, marking the centenary of the Representation of the People Act when some women in Britain achieved the right to vote in elections.
The three-woman play is about Wimbledon suffragette Rose Lamartine Yates, played by Valerie Antwi, and will focus on the local history aspect of political movement.
Jonathan Humphreys, 33, is artistic director of Attic Theatre. He said: “It feels like a really interesting show to do here now because the arguments that were made by Rose Lamartine Yates were about equal pay, there were arguments made about what women have to wear.
“It was all about if you don’t have a seat at the table, how can you do it?”
The show, written by playwright Beth Flintoff, aims to teach forgotten parts of history such as the radical aspects of the suffrage movement, said Mr Humphreys.
The Rebellious Women of Wimbledon aims to take a specifically local approach to theatre.
This will be the second time Attic Theatre has toured libraries in south west London, which Mr Humphreys said is a way of reaching new audiences.
“They’re interesting cultural spaces, libraries, because I think they’ve got a really diverse portion of the population,” he said.
He added: “What we make is made with people who aren’t necessarily regular theatre-goers in mind.”
This isn’t the first play about suffragettes to premiere in London this year. Sylvia, a dance-heavy musical about Sylvia Pankhurst, opened at the Old Vic last month.
After being plagued with problems, Sylvia was eventually designated a ‘work in progress’ for the rest of its run.
Feature image shows Rose Lamartine Yates.
