Play to celebrate life of feminist icon

A group of performers will take to the stage in Hull for a musical celebrating the life of feminist icon Mary Wollstonecraft.

Raised in Beverley, Ms Wollstonecraft was known as a trail-blazer and literary pioneer, as well as the mother of renowned novelist Mary Shelley.

Meet Mary and the Hyenas, created by Hull playwright Maureen Lennon, will be performed at Hull Truck Theatre from 7 February to 1 March.

The show will feature contemporary, post-punk music by singer-songwriter Billy Nomates.

Like many female writers and academics, Ms Wollstonecraft's work did not receive the attention it deserved until after her death.

She wrote a history of the French Revolution and a children's book, but is best known for her feminist work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

In the book, Ms Wollstonecraft argued women were not naturally inferior to men but only appeared to be because they did not have the same access to education as their male counterparts.

Laura Elsworthy, who plays the writer in the show, admitted she knew little of Ms Wollstonecraft, who lived on the street where Ms Elsworthy walks her dog.

The play aims to increase awareness of Ms Wollstonecraft, her passionate advocacy for women's rights and her involvement in the French Revolution.

Despite the 18th Century setting of the musical, Ms Elsworthy said it showcased many similarities to modern life, stating Ms Wollstonecraft "was one of the first to speak out about those inequalities".

Esther Richardson, director at Pilot Theatre, which is partnering with Hull Truck Theatre to present the show, described it as a "universal story about many women's rites of passage that will inspire you to make the world a better place."

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