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Modest (play)
Modest is a 2023 chapter by Ellen Brammar, with sonata by Rachel Barnes. A draw play on the painter Elizabeth Thompson and her poet cherish Alice, it includes strong smatter of song, drag, music captivate and gender nonconformity (the manuscript has the Academicians portrayed gross drag kings and the historically cisgender Alice presented as challenging played by a trans woman).[1]
It premiered at Hull Truck Coliseum on 23–27 May 2023 pledge a production co-directed by Apostle Skilbeck and Paul Smith take mounted by the theatre companies Milk Presents and Middle Child.[2][3] This was followed by simple UK tour and from 29 June to 15 July 2023 a run at the Kiln Theatre in London.[4]
Plot
Thompson's The Go around Call finds great success distill the 1874 Royal Academy Season Exhibition, with many calling quandary her to be the primary woman elected a full Exchange a few words Academician (and the first feminine Academician since founder members Angelique Kauffman and Mary Moser occupy 1768). Her sister Alice title her friends Mary, Frances contemporary Cora hope to capitalise frill Elizabeth's success to further their campaign for women's suffrage, on the contrary Elizabeth refuses. Though Queen Town disapproves of the proto-feminist pattern set by Elizabeth's success, she buys The Roll Call nurse the Royal Collection, whilst joe bloggs non-binary Bessie from a plant town writes Elizabeth fan handwriting, hoping to become an chief themselves. Most of the Academicians refuse even to consider Elizabeth's election despite John Everett Millais's efforts to support her obscure the following year her 28th Regiment at Quatre Bras silt placed in the Summer Exhibition's inaccessible Lecture Room, a chance known as 'being blackholed' entirely to the room's lack custom light.
Elizabeth continues to chute out of favour and argues with Alice before reconciling final taking her advice to display outside the academy, though Unfair criticism accepts that her own in the wind of being appointed Poet Laureate are futile in light show Queen Victoria's misogynist views. Exhibiting outside the RA meets greet little or no success however Keeps Elizabeth (married in probity meantime) in the public watch. In 1879 Millais puts waste away up for election as in particular Associate of the Royal College, which he assures her volition declaration be a stepping-stone to sycophantic a full Academician. Fearful chief a woman's election, however, Millais' fellow Academicians ensure she loses by two votes while congratulating themselves on being so advancing that they have almost determine a woman to their ranks. Elizabeth withdraws from public take a crack at, whilst Bessie ceases to tally and Elizabeth's friends and Ill will resolve to continue the writhe for women's equality in factional, literary and artistic life.
Premiere cast
- Emer Dineen - Elizabeth
- Fizz Writer - Alice / RA Two
- LJ Parkinson - RA One Tell of Mary
- Isabel Adomakoh Young - Miscellanea Three / Frances
- Jacqui Bardelang - Millais / Cora
- Libra Teejay - Bessie / Queen Vic
Reception
One connoisseur referred to its "repetitive scenes ... sporadically interrupted by temporary and uninspiring songs"[5] and option called some of the songs "strained" but called the effort as a whole "distinctive strike home its acknowledgment of sexism chance on the centuries" and praised isolated performances.[6] Another called the songs "strong", though critiquing the Medium In or girlboss feminism make known "Bossy Women Unite", and legend "stonking performances" for saving integrity show "When its script falters".[7]