Selling fast!

SYLVIA is already well on the way to selling out on International Women’s Day (8 March) at the Museum of Wigan Life!

Over 40% of seats for the two daytime performances of SYLVIA had sold by last Friday. Today (Tuesday 28th February) the Wigan Observer & Wigan Evening Post included the show in a piece about events in Wigan for International Women's Day. What it doesn't mention is that the play includes slides of Sylvia’s paintings of the Wigan pit-brow lassies, pictures we discovered as part of our continuing research.

If you want to get to either the 10 am or 2 pm performance on 8th March, you can book by phoning 01942 828128 or emailing wiganmuseum@wigan.gov.uk.

Stoke-on-Trent

In Stoke, 6 Towns Radio's Curtain Call is arranging an interview with us for the show on Saturday 4th March. After the Labour victory in Stoke, we are sure that many people will want to celebrate by going to a play about Sylvia Pankhurst at 11 am on 7th Ma rch. Sylvia was a close friend of Keir Hardie, who founded the Independent Labour Party and was its first MP.

Sylvia was the daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst who founded the WSPU (the 'suffragettes') with Sylvia’s sister, Christabel Pankhurst. In fact, Sylvia wrote the first history, The Suffragette Movement, so the performance is a great way to celebrate International Women’s Day early. She has been described as “the greatest women of the twentieth century”, and with good reason.

Paintings

Among the 250 slides are Sylvia’s paintings of women working in the potteries. A talented artist, Sylvia won three scholarships, and the show is a rare opportunity to see almost all her extant paintings. These capture, as never before, the dignity of women in their workplaces, and the strains that the often poor working conditions put on them.

Other performances coming up

There are more performances coming up very soon at: