Behold, a young lady pursuing education, clamouring for the right to graduate, wanting to perform scientific experiments and debate on philosophy! Is there anything more unnatural than a ‘blue stocking’ woman who insists on going against her role in nature, which is to reproduce and care for the young? Concepts that draw snickers from the audience now, but concepts that were well believed and propagated in the 19th century.
Written by Jessica Swale and directed by Natalie Romero, Blue Stockings is set in Cambridge of the 1890s. A group of women – young and old, students and teachers – are fighting for their right to earn a degree and to be educated on the same footing as the men. The female students match their male counterparts grade for grade and yet find that they are sidelined, even mocked.
The play follows the experiences of students Tess Moffat, Carolyn Addison, Celia Willbond, and Maeve Sullivan as they navigate the obstacles of higher education at Girton College, the first college for women in Cambridge. They come from different backgrounds and circumstances. The one thing that they have in common is how hard they have had to work to get where they are.
They struggle with the hostility of those around them, the men who believe that a woman who spends her energy in education is no longer fit for marriage. They find their views dismissed and their paths blocked. It’s not all gloom, though. They revel in the knowledge they are surrounded by, find allies among the male teachers and students, and they find love.
The young women are impatient and vocal in demanding their rights, the older ones more restrained. In contrast to the energy of the four students is the calm but firm stability of Mrs Elizabeth Welsh (played by Carrie Cable), the head of Girton College. She believes in keeping one’s head down and working hard, while also fighting quietly – stay below the radar, don’t fall into anyone’s bad books, “degrees by degrees”. Not for her the loud protests and arguments. She is all for proving their worth with sheer hard work.
Despite the energy of the talented cast, the plot occasionally lags, refusing to move along. There are enough characters to fill the stage and one too many plot points diluting the core subject. Several threads are introduced and only half explored. A little tweaking of the original source material would have turned this into a tight and entertaining watch.
The play ends with a reminder that it was only as late as 1948 that Cambridge awarded degrees to its female graduate. A reminder of not only how far ahead the world has come, but also how much there is yet to go.
Reviewer: Savitha Venugopal
Reviewed: 13th November 2024
North West End UK Rating: