THE PETTICOAT REBELLION
November 1982
 

Source unknown – “Youth Theatre present the women’s angle”  1 | 2 | Top

Any drama group attempting to portray the harrowing and disturbing story of female suffrage know it faces an awesome task to justifiable represent the history of the movement, but the youngsters of Cumbernauld Youth Theatre did it almost to perfection last week.

In the “Petticoat Rebellion” they took the story of female emancipation from Stone Age wife battering to horrors of the early 20^th century suffragette struggle and beyond.

And they did it with a professional, polished performance which belied their youth. No one in the cast could have experienced anything like the violence shown only 80 years ago to women in Britain yet you felt they were acting from the heart.

Of course, the majority of the cast were female, but even allowing for the fact they could feel strongly about the treatment of their sex over the past 2000 years, the quality of performance was quite outstanding.

No quarter was given to men and their treatment of the fairer sex. We males were made to feel guilty about the way we have acted toward women and justifiably so!

The most disturbing period was undoubtedly the struggle for the vote which too place at the turn of the century.

The growing feeling towards female suffrage and the opposition they encountered was powerfully displayed. Women were bettered at meetings and force-fed in prison, and Jeanette Burn’s portrayal of a suffragette being forcibly nourished was on of the most haunting memories of the evening.

In fact, Jeanette have one of the best performances on the night. The variety of roles she played ranged from a nasty, lovable Glaswegian workhouse mistress to a worried Victorian lady whose daughter did not want to marry into the gentry. Her singing was a delight as well and the Youth Theatre must be pleased to have her in their ranks.

But she wasn’t the only star. Although the boys were playing second fiddle, they all performed their roles well, with Neil McKinven outstanding and anyone who can win over a Cumbernauld audience while wearing a blonde wig and pink bloomers deserves special praise!

In the role of narrators frank Gallagher and Kate Cook coped with a demanding part professionally but the whole cast contributed to making it such a powerful show.

Although the first have contained many light-hearted moments the real message was thrown across during the second half when men’s attitudes were questioned.

At the end of the much-publicised stripper routine last for less than a minute but served its purpose to illustrate how little those Victorian attitudes have changed.

In dealing with a difficult and emotional subject, the Youth Theatre did very well and left this particular male asking “when will they be on next?”

A Scottish suffragette relived old memories for four members of Cumbernauld Youth Theatre this week.

Mrs Cecelia Russell, who celebrated her 88^th birthday on Monday, was visited at her Glasgow home by players from “The Petticoat Rebellion,” the Youth Theatre’s latest show about the Scottish suffragette movement.

Mrs Russell, who joined the militant Women’s Social and political Union when she was 15 years old, helped with research and information for the play. She was invited to the show’s opening night, but was unable to attend because she is housebound.

So for the four girls, carrying banners and singing suffragette songs, recaptured the past for the only surviving Scottish suffragette. The teenagers were “fascinated” to hear at first hand about the events they were portraying on stage.

Eighteen-year-old Debbie Leishman, 234 Millcroft Road, Carbrain, said: “She still has a lot of fight in her. The suffragette movement seems to long ago, but her still being alive has made me identify more with the suffragettes. It made me realise how hard their fight really was.”

And Carol Leishman (15), of  46 Glenview Drive, Banknock, added: “Even although she was in her bed, when she was telling us stories it was as if she was wishing she was back supporting the suffragettes again. She was very enthusiastic about the whole suffragette movement.”

Adela Campbell (17), of Bramblebank, Station Road, Longcroft, spoke for all four girls when she said: “Speaking to her made us all more determined to do our best in the show.

“She was a great women to talk to and very interested in what we were doing. She seemed so pleased that we had come to see her. It gave the whole play more meaning.”

Angela Rafferty (16), from Moodiesburn, completed the quartet of visitors.

The group also gave Mrs Russell a bouquet of flowers and a sash in the suffragette colours.

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