How the Vote Was Won

Play

Writers: Cicely Hamilton Christopher St. John

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
1909
Genres
Drama, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set, Simple/No Set
Time & Place
The living room of Horace & Ethel Cole in Brixton, London, 1909
Cast Size
medium
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre
Casting Notes
Mostly female cast
Includes adult, young adult, late teen characters

Synopsis

In Brixton, London, on the day of a general women’s strike – The Suffragettes have called a strike after the Government has announced that women do not need votes as they are looked after by men. All the women on strike have headed to their nearest male relative to insist on being supported. In the living room of Horace and Ethel Cole, their house is becoming more and more overrun by female relatives. Horace, an anti-suffragist, is horrified and outraged at the amount of women appearing on his doorstep. As more of his relatives turn up, Horace begins to realize the full impact of women being unable to vote. By the end of the play, he’s changed his ways and rushes to parliament with the other men to demand votes for women! One of the most well-known Suffrage plays, How the Vote Was Won is a staple of historical feminist plays.

Lead Characters


How the Vote Was Won guide sections