Fiona Shaw And George MacKay Complete The Casts Of The National Theatre's Courage Everywhere

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.

The rehearsed readings will share the stage with a programme including Scarlett Curtis chairing a discussion on the impact of women's voices on society, a journey through women's poetry with Sheila Atim, Joanna Lumley and Indira Varma, and Naomi Paxton revealing the stories she has discovered whilst curating Dramatic Progress.

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 is Eliza Butterworth, Martina Laird, Yasmin Mwanza and Amaka Okafor.

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 is Paul Bazely, David Calder, Lois Chimimba, Erin Doherty, Deborah Findlay, Kate Fleetwood, Andrew Havill, Tunji Kasim, Isabella Laughland, Penny Layden, George MacKay, Francesca Mills, Sarah Ridgeway and Michael Shaeffer.

Bull in a China Shop by Bryna TurnerDirected by Phyllida LloydSaturday 17 November, 8.00pm 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 is Jade Anouka, Clare Dunne, Leah Harvey, Sally Rogers and Fiona Shaw.

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 is Ruby Bentall, Anthony Calf, Jolyon Coy, Daniel Flynn, Philip Goldacre, Stella Gonet, Adelle Leonce, Victoria Moseley, Vinette Robinson, Joshua Silver, Ellora Torchia, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Zubin Varla and Dwane Walcott.

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.

Talks and Events

Activism in the Archives: Finding Stories of Suffrage Theatre Thursday 15 November, 6pm, Cottesloe RoomTickets £7 (£5 concessions) A talk from performer, writer and researcher Naomi Paxton on the stories she has discovered from the history of suffrage theatre and activism.

Women Poets Through the Ages with Allie EsiriFriday 16 November, 6pm, Olivier TheatreTickets £7 (£5 concessions)Allie Esiri and guest actors including Sheila Atim, Joanna Lumley and Indira Varma, go on a highly entertaining and powerful journey through women's poetry. The evening will include poems that mark this year's centenary of the Representation of the People Act, which first gave some women the right to vote.

Exhibition Insight with Curator Naomi PaxtonSaturday 17 November, 11.30am, Lyttelton LoungeTickets £3An exhibition tour with curator Naomi Paxton exploring her research for and curation of the exhibition Dramatic Progress: Votes for Women and the Edwardian Stage.

Courage Everywhere Pop-upSunday 18 November, 12noon-7pm, Clore Learning CentreTickets £10Including workshops on writing your own scenes for Suffrage Puppetry and creating Suffrage Zines, Equaliteas, suffragette top trumps, screenings of 'March' directed by Anna Birch, panel talks on women as statues and playing suffrage characters and demos of Jujitsuffrage!

Hear Her Roar: Where are Women's Voices? Friday 23 November, 5.45pm, Dorfman TheatreTickets £7 (concessions £5)A panel discussion unpacking how women's contributions and voices impact society in the UK and globally and how they might be perceived in the future. Chaired by Scarlett Curtis, editor, journalist and author with contributions from Momtaza Merhi, Young People's Laureate for London, Nimco Ali, co-founder of Daughters of Eve and Bridget Minamore, poet, author and journalist.

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