Women were writing and performing in plays well before they gained access to the professional stage in 1660. This talk uncovers a hidden heritage by giving examples of their work and the alternative venues for which they composed. It will be illustrated by photographs and video from performances. Alison is fascinated by the ways women used the opportunities to create theatrical entertainments in venues like Boston Manor House to shape their futures and is thrilled to be sharing her research here.
Alison Findlay is Professor of Renaissance Drama at Lancaster University (UK). She has published books, articles and essays on Shakespeare and his contemporaries, including female dramatists. Most recently, she co-authored the Arden Encyclopedia of Shakespeare’s Language: Plays and Characters, (published 12 December 2024). She has also staged pioneering site-specific performances, including Shakespeare’s Henry V (2024) and Edward III (2023) at Lancaster Castle and Lady Mary Wroth’s romantic tragicomedy Love’s Victory (c.1622) at Penshurst Place in Kent (2022).