Swive (Elizabeth) (2021)
by Ella Hickson
Performances: Tuesday 23 to Saturday 29 November 2021, Old Fire Station
Contents
Introduction
Elizabeth I is the only unmarried woman to have ever ruled England, reigning for 44 years. The daughter of Henry VIII’s ill-fated second wife Anne Boleyn, she was a political mastermind with powerful survival instincts.
Created by award-winning writer Ella Hickson and director Natalie Abrahami, Swive (Elizabeth) premiered at the Sam Wanamaker playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2019. It shines a light on the ways and means by which women in power negotiate patriarchal pressure in order to get their way. Elizabeth was a prime example of a leader determined but struggling to live and rule as she wanted, and the women around her were also tied down by the male prejudices and rigid social, religious and cultural traditions of their time.
This isn’t intended to be a history play - though it presents contemporary issues through an historical prism, events depicted in Elizabeth’s life, although real, aren’t always strictly chronologically accurate. Though there are some quotations taken from historical records, the language is modern, and this is also reflected in my choice of some of the music. Various modern historians have helped us with their insights into the life and times of Elizabeth, which have informed our play and inspired our fascination with this amazing queen and her contemporaries.
Cast
- Elizabeth Q - Annabel Sheen
- Elizabeth P - Charlotte Lee Windell
- Catherine Parr - Jenny McLaughlin
- Thomas Seymour - Tom Watts
- William Cecil - Tom Melly
- Queen Mary I - Jenny McLaughlin
- Washerwoman - Sarah Pearcey
- Robert Dudley - Tom Watts
- Lady Katherine Grey - Sarah Pearcey
Crew
- Assistant Director - Lisa Thomas
- Stage Manager - Mark Ireson
- Lighting Design - Jason Salmon
- Sound Design - Cal Beckett
- Lighting and Sound Operator - Noah Wright
- Assistant Stage Managers / Dressers: Han Evans and Lorna Felix
- Costumes - Lisa Thomas
- Set Build - Mark Ireson, Han Evans, Tom Mathias, John Winters, Barry Heselden and Noah Wright
- Lighting Rigging - Jason Salmon and Noah Wright
- Headware - Lily Ann Green
- Additional Costumes - Jenny Bennett and SLT Wardrobe
- Props - Carole Ironside
- Poster - Original artwork by Rosalind Lyons, enhanced by Jessica Partridge
- Photographer - Jessica Partridge
Reviews
Some review quotes go here
Gallery
Thanks
My sincere thanks go to all those wonderful individuals listed above, whose hard work and creativity behind the scenes have made this production possible and the best it could be. Thanks also to the National Theatre Costume Hire team, to Putney Arts for the gift of two enormous hanging black tabs, and to the Picnic team for help with the get-in. As always, we greatly appreciate our dedicated team of front of house, box office and behind the bar team. And last but very much not least, thank you to my fabulous cast and crew whose enthusiasm, sense of fun and dedication have made this production a sheer joy to direct.
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
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See Also
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Or add anything that is related within this site. The author's page for instance or other plays with a similar theme.
