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Overview
Synopsis
It is 1896 and Girton College, home to the first female university students, has just opened its doors. Its principal, Mrs. Welsh, vows to steer the students through their education ,while passionately petitioning for their right to graduate like their male contemporaries. The group of new female students all come from varying backgrounds but they are bound by their belief that a woman is not solely limited to her place in the home. Facing entrenched chauvinism from the establishment, academic rejection and violent misogynistic riots, the women continue to push for Cambridge University to treat them as equals. Through their education in, and outside, the classroom, the women strive to prove that they are equal to their male contemporaries. While following social rules and etiquette, they pull away from Victorian notions of the ‘natural woman’ and passionately pursue their academic ambitions.
Show Information
- Book
- Jessica Swale
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2013
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Girton College, University of Cambridge, England, 1896
- Cast Size
- large
- Licensor
- Nick Hern Book
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Jessica Swale’s Blue Stockings was developed at the National Theatre Studio (London) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in 2012 and premiered at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre the following year. The play received favorable reviews from the critics and Jessica Swale received a nomination for the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright award. In 2015, the play was included on the GCSE Drama syllabus in the UK.
_Editor’s Note: With the exception of Elizabeth Welsh and Tess, all
to read the context for Blue Stockings and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
It is 1896 and Girton College, Cambridge has just opened its doors. It is home to Britain’s first female university students. At the university, the eminent physician, Dr. Maudsley, is delivering a lecture based around his latest treatise, ‘Sex in Mind and in Education’. He warns the audience that educating women is a dangerous idea as they are governed by their reproductive functions and not designed for an intellectual life. However, at the same time, the principal of Girton
to read the plot for Blue Stockings and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Quote Analysis
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher