We are very excited to announce that the young internationally-produced and competition winning playwright Rebekah King is to kick off our latest online digital festival with her play The Lady's Mad. The festival Pester, Tease, Amuse and Trouble will feature new and rare plays by women writers over forthcoming weeks. (Don't worry we will also be spotlighting work by writers of all sexes - watch this space )

Set in 1645, "The Lady's Mad" is the story of a war of wits and wills that unfolds between two extraordinary women on opposite sides of the English civil war. Using characters who are composites of real people, the play seeks to illuminate the hidden history of female involvement in this tumultuous period of history. The play also makes extensive use of early modern stage conventions studied during the author's two masters degrees in English Literature 1550-1700 (Oxford) and Shakespeare and Creativity (Birmingham with the Royal Shakespeare Company). Use of a thrust stage, soliloquy, poetic speech and other Shakespearean techniques are experimented with here, adapted for a modern audience. The play premiered in Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is buried, and was one of four finalists for the 2020 Questors Student Playwriting Award.

Come along and read, discuss, or just listen. There will be a short introduction from Rebekah as she will be joining us for the session. All we ask is a small donation whatever you can afford to help us continuing our work online.