Emmeline Pankhurst fought tirelessly for women to have the vote. She was imprisoned several times, often went on hunger strike, and was force-fed on at least three occasions.
Having failed to make any impression on the male electorate and parliamentarians for nearly thirty years, she became an advocate of direct action. The suffragettes threw stones at politicians, set fire to letter boxes, torched buildings, chained themselves to railings, and threw themselves under horses.
Although they were eventually successful, many brave women suffered terribly during the fight. Emmeline was not universally popular. Many women believed that if the suffragettes had been less confrontational, the vote for women would have come much quicker.
Liz Grand has previously performed at Waterside as Anne Hathaway, Agatha Christie, Mrs Churchill, and Enid Blyton. She brilliantly portrays this complex, visionary woman. This is a story that needs to be told.
