COURAGE EVERYWHERE At The National Theatre Brings Themes Of Suffrage, Courage And The Fight For Political Equality

The NT marks the 100th anniversary of the first women in the UK gaining the right to vote, with a series of rehearsed readings, talks and events, as well as a free exhibition in the Lyttelton Lounge. World-class directors Nadia Fall, Phyllida Lloyd, Jenny Sealey, Lyndsey Turner and Dawn Walton will bring to life five plays on themes of suffrage, courage and the fight for political equality in the UK and around the world.

Rehearsed Readings, Dorfman TheatreTickets £10/£15There will be post show talks held after each of the readings, including contributions from the director and cast members - included in the ticket price.

And Others curated by Susan Croft, Graeae and the NTDirected by Jenny Sealey Thursday 15 November, 7.30pmA testimony to the women who have been lost to history, who fought for suffrage but whose stories have been left untold. Graeae Theatre's Artistic Director Jenny Sealey draws together the words of forgotten women to mark the achievement of women's suffrage. Cast is Jodi-Alissa Bickerton, Babirye Bukilwa, Liz Carr, Philippa Cole, Kellan Frankland, Paddy Glynn, Vilma Jackson, Awa Jagne, Karina Jones and Rena Sodhi.

In the Parlour by Judy Tate and Magda, Jo, Isabella by Saviana Stanescu, Aoise Stratford and Lyrae Van Clief-StefanonDirected by Dawn Walton Friday 16 November, 7.30pmIn the Parlour - March 1913: On the eve of the most historic women's suffrage marches two women, divided by race, battle for their right to be united and to fight in this movement. Magda, Jo, Isabella - Three brilliant new monologues from US writers tackling race, class and belonging in the suffrage movement. Cast to be confirmed.

Her Naked Skin by Rebecca LenkiewiczDirected by Nadia FallSaturday 17 November, 3pmDepicting a love affair which crosses fraught class lines, and set against the backdrop of the violent struggle for suffrage, Rebecca Lenkiewicz's historic play premiered in the Olivier Theatre in 2008. Cast to be confirmed.

Bull in a China Shop by Bryna TurnerDirected by Phyllida LloydSaturday 17 November, 7.30pm Two lovers in a Massachusetts seminary find their lives upturned by revolution, fan-adoration and the price of joining the establishment. A fierce new comedy by US writer Bryna Turner, this is a dynamic queering of history that traverses the generations. Cast to be confirmed.

Votes for Women by Elizabeth RobinsDirected by Lyndsey TurnerSunday 18 November, 3pmElizabeth Robins' genre-defining 1907 play dramatises the moment in which the suffragette movement was born; as polite political discourse reached breaking point and women across the UK stood up to be counted. Cast includes Ruby Bentall, Jolyon Coy, Daniel Flynn, Philip Goldacre, Stella Gonet, Adelle Leonce, Nikesh Patel, Vinette Robinson, Sylvestra Le Touzel and Dwane Walcott, with further names to be confirmed.

Dramatic Progress: Votes for Women and the Edwardian StageLyttelton LoungeA free exhibition in the Lyttelton Lounge curated by Naomi Paxton, opening on 22 October 2018 and running until January 2019.This exhibition highlights how the campaign for votes for women was championed by women and men from different professions across the UK, not excluding the theatre. In 1908, two groups of theatre professionals formed to support the cause - the Actresses' Franchise League (AFL) and the Women Writers' Suffrage League (WWSL). This exhibition celebrates their diverse and exciting work for the Edwardian suffrage campaign, and explores how they helped to share the ideas and language of the movement. Includes filmed extracts of plays from the time, archive materials and images.

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