Every year, during the first week of October, thousands of fresh-faced young people flock to our major cities marking the start of the university year. That this annual migration forms a rite of passage for both men AND women, is largely due to the efforts of ‘Blue Stockings’, pioneers in the rights for women’s education and equality of opportunity during the nineteenth century. In this 2013 play, writer Jessica Swale focuses on the 1896 fight by women at Girton College, Cambridge to gain the right to graduate alongside their male peers in the face of hostile opposition from faculty, fellow students and society at large.
We see the prejudice and misogyny that women in education faced through the eyes of four new ‘Girton Girls’, Tess (Pippa Lane), Celia (Bronte James), Carolyn (Madeleine Healey) and Maeve (Olivia Brindley), an early encounter with renowned psychiatrist Dr Maudsley (Sean Duvall) setting the tone for the universities dismissive and patronising disapproval of their presence. They are supported in their endeavours by Mistress of Girton College, Elizabeth Welsh (Ros Greenwood) and Miss Blake (Kathryn Worthington) whilst being adamantly opposed by the rest of the University and the wider (male) student body. The battle lines are drawn, with a vote on whether to confer degree status on the women forming the dramatic climax of the plot.
The Garrick always manages to unearth young talent to bring its productions to life and this one is no exception, with consistently high levels of performance across the piece. Lane brings out the frustrated curiosity of Tess well, her curious mind extending well beyond the boundaries of the limited syllabus set by her hidebound male examiners, whilst Healey finds the humour and light in bohemian Carolyn with precision and dextrous physicality. James acts as the glue for the group in both character and performance, and we feel the pain of Maeve when she is forced to give up her studies due to events beyond her control. Brindley is excellently understated as the shy Maeve, a character I would like to have seen developed more and a timely reminder that class and money were as impenetrable a barrier to progress as sex.
Miss Welsh and Miss Blake provide the embodiment of the wildly varying attitudes to female emancipation during the period, even amongst women themselves. The evolutionary approach of Welsh juxtaposed with the more strident and revolutionary suffragette beliefs of Blake, reflecting the differences as to how best to progress the cause. Worthington is particularly noteworthy as Blake, prepared to sacrifice her entire career to ensure future women could benefit from graduation and the clever ending subverts the expectations of the audience for a happy resolution.
The writing was strongest when dealing with the politics and issues of nascent feminism and the second act descended into a more prosaic romantic drama involving a love triangle of Tess, Ralph (Sam Evans) and Will (Callum Johnson) which, though well performed, did not hold my interest. It was left to Lloyd (Tom Broughton) to provide a clear distillation of the prevailing misogynistic attitude, his cruel argument dismissing the hopes and future ambitions of Tess, being the second half highlight.
Overall, a strong production with excellent central performances, shedding light on an inspirational group of women who stood up to prevailing orthodoxy and eventually triumphed.
Playing until Saturday 8th October, https://www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk/shows/blue-stockings/
Reviewer: Paul Wilcox
Reviewed: 3rd October 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★