EMMELINE: The story of the suffragettes
Evie Robinson interviews Beatrice Hyde, writer of original play EMMELINE, which sheds light on the story of key leaders within the Suffragette movement.
Opening at The Cockpit Theatre on 3 November, EMMELINE is an original play that tells the story of renowned suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, and her turbulent relationship with her daughter Sylvia. Pi Media spoke to writer Beatrice Hyde to hear all about her writing process, motivations behind the story, and what she hopes audiences will take from watching the show.
Image credit: Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash
Discussing her motivations for writing the play, Beatrice shared stories of her upbringing. She was surrounded by powerful women, and therefore developed into a strong feminist herself. Her mother, working for the Central America Women’s Network, before moving to the Zalala Foundation where she works on advancing rights for women in Mozambique, is a major source of inspiration for Beatrice: a poignant detail in light of how her play places the maternal relationship between Emmeline and Sylvia Pankhurst at its centre. Beatrice shared her frustration at the absence of historical plays featuring complex female characters, and was keen to fill this void with the story of the Suffragettes. Pursuing an interest in adapting historical stories for the stage, she read the autobiography of Emmeline Pankhurst, and was immediately struck by the dramatic events and theatrical potential of her story. The complex trajectory of Emmeline’s journey within the Suffragette movement felt like the perfect subject to explore on stage.
Many people are able to see themselves in the reflection of a mother-daughter relationship, which is what Beatrice intended to spark with Emmeline and Sylvia’s story in the play. It was a relationship often characterised by difference and division, whether that was regarding militancy, inclusion, or whether the suffrage movement should aid the war effort. Their story becomes a prism through which the wider issues of the movement can be explored. My conversation with Beatrice was also enlightening on a personal level, as she taught me things about the movement that I was previously unaware of – that Sylvia was, at one point, expelled from the Suffragettes and formed her own union, for example. Seeing the way that Beatrice had given everything to writing this story and capturing the small yet vital details was simply inspiring.
Lovers of the theatre experience take joy from its ability to make people think, and Beatrice certainly shared these sentiments in our conversation. For her, turning Emmeline’s story into a piece of drama was about allowing people to find a way into the story, and spoke of her hopes that the play will raise questions and prompt discussions, rather than offer a prescriptive way to view the events. She explained that although the story has been modified in other ways (the 2015 film adaptation entitled Suffragette, for example), theatre is unique in its capacity to provide people with a shared experience.
It was enlightening to hear about Beatrice’s own writing process, particularly in finding the balance between honouring historical details and staying true to the tone of the autobiography, but also being selective about what would work best in a dramatic space. As Beatrice shared, translating 30 years of history in just over two hours of theatre was a project that took her around five years to complete. She expressed her gratitude at having the input of Emmeline’s great granddaughter, Helen Pankhurst, who has continued to discuss her family’s legacy through her recent work Deeds Not Words. Beatrice worked closely with Helen on the play, who read the drafts and helped her with historical accuracy and the intricacies of key events. Sharing some wisdom for budding writers, Beatrice recommended seeking a mentor and attending regular play-readings and workshops as particular ways of bolstering your writing confidence and abilities.
Turning toward what she hopes the audience will take from the show, Beatrice emphasised the production as a kind of call to action, eager for the audience to feel immersed in the movement themselves. Hoping to equip audiences with the knowledge that change is possible through collective action, Beatrice expressed her view on the importance of discourse, encouraging young women to use their voices, not just to vote but in daily conversations and interactions. She spoke of the joy Emmeline herself found in the movement: standing in solidarity with other women, with a sense that the movement was working towards something greater for future generations to experience. And in the current day, with women still facing many issues, including gender-based violence, the gender pay gap, and the fight for equal representation in Parliament, Emmeline’s drive seems even more powerful to behold.
“Inspired, galvanised, empowered.” These were the words that Beatrice used to describe her hopes for the audience’s takeaways from EMMELINE. The production of EMMELINE, produced by Theatre Lab Company and directed by Anastasia Revi, will run from 3-14 November, featuring post-show Q&A discussions after several of the performances. A powerful story of solidarity, resilience and love, it is certainly shaping up to be an incredible insight into one of the most prolific historical movements this country has ever seen.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the play: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/emmeline