Pioneering new play comes to Ilminster
A new play about a pioneering Exmoor woman, and one of the region's most fascinating characters, is to be performed at Ilminster Arts Centre on Saturday, 15 April.
Entitled 'Rosalie', it is inspired by the life of Rosalie Chichester (1865-1949), who owned Arlington Court in North Devon. She was a Suffragette, Scientist, Photographer, Explorer, Collector and unapologetic eccentric who inherited and ran the family estate, and travelled widely.
The one-woman play, which stars Helena Payne, is presented by the acclaimed Pleasure Dome Theatre in partnership with the National Trust.
It explores the pressures of female identity and familial responsibility in Victorian and Edwardian England. Directed by the award-winning Scott Le Crass, whose previous single-person performances include ***** ROSE, now transferring to London's West End, this new play sheds light on one of the South West's most interesting but lesser-known personalities.
Commenting on Rosalie's unique and inspiring life, actress Helena Payne said: "She was a remarkable woman from a family of history and heritage, who saw and experienced huge social change and technological innovation. In many ways she was a woman ahead of her time, not limited by Victorian expectations of what women could or should do.
"She was a great protector of wildlife and had an ardent love of nature. When researching this play I was drawn to Rosalie's inquiring mind and intriguing personality, and thought that more people needed to know about her. Indeed, at Pleasure Dome Theatre, our mission is to tell Exmoor stories and this often means exploring the lives of hidden figures in history and giving them the limelight and recognition they deserve. This little-known story explores the complicated relationship between an extraordinary place and an extraordinary person."
The one-hour performance starts at 7.30pm on Saturday, 15 April. Doors open at 6.30pm with cash bar. Tickets £12 (£5 for students with ID or free to children aged 12 or under, accompanied by a paying adult).
Tickets can also be purchased by ringing 01460 54973 or visiting us during opening hours (9.30am - 3pm, Tuesdays - Saturdays).