Monday, October 19, 2009

Tea with Mrs Pankhurst

Tonight I went to a marvellous piece of political theatre performed at the main hall of TUC Congress House by New Strides. The production was before a packed audience and sponsored by SERTUC.

The play is an attempt at a snapshot history of the women's suffrage/suffragette movement. From the very different viewpoints of working class socialist and pacifist Selina Cooper and that of upper middle class, Tory libertarian and (dare I say) militant terrorist Emmeline Pankhurst.

The reaction of the audience that I spoke to afterwards was pretty much similar to mine. We were all a little shocked that Emmeline Pankhurst on the one hand before July 1914 was a convicted terrorist found guilty of being involved in a plot to blow up the Home Secretary Lloyd George’s home then went on during the First World War to become an ardent supporter of the war and encouraged the handing out of white feathers to men who were not in the military. She actually died while campaigning to become an Conservative Party MP!

Her historical contemporary (and tactical opponent for much of their lives) Selina Cooper I felt was portrayed in perhaps a tad too much true working class heroine of the people mode. But while it would appear that her role so far in the movement has not been properly recognised or remembered. Mind you I have a problem with those who claim to be anti-fascist but remained a pacifist in the 2nd World War.

The fascinating answer to the question about whether women’s suffrage in Britain was actually brought about by violent militant protest, socialist campaigning or women’s war work is left at the end of the play to the audience.

I think on balance that the only conclusion you can take from the play is that it was the ardent support for war by Emmeline Pankhurst and her (control freak) daughter Christabel that made the crucial difference. The “good” daughter Sylva Pankhurst (who was apparently disowned by her mother for being "weak") did not apparently play any major role in the 1918 decision to grant the vote to women (over the age of 30) neither did Selina Cooper.

In reality the reasons were more complicated.

This play was first performed in the Edinburgh festival in 2003 and I would recommend it if it comes to a theatre (or union hall) near you. Make your own minds up.

Update: I forgot to mention that the tea and cake was very nice as well.

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