Outdoor theatre spectacular celebrates the fight for votes for women

Called ‘The Glass Ceiling’, the free performance is on Friday 19 October from 8.30pm to 9.30pm in the town’s Ward Jackson Park.

Inspired by the Suffragettes and Suffragists, the show celebrates the activists from the Tees Valley whose courage and perseverance propelled this historic movement to achieve political recognition.

The show is produced by Periplum, the groundbreaking theatre company which created ‘Homecoming’ - the stunning First World War outdoor theatre performance in the Headland Town Square in 2014 to mark the hundredth anniversary of the German bombardment of the Hartlepools.

‘The Glass Ceiling’ brings to life the self-styled ‘feminine incendiaries’ and the men who marched alongside those pioneers of direct action.

Sensory, spectacular and ultimately uplifting, this surround performance uses innovative staging and pyrotechnics, new music, writing and aerial performance to create a gritty and evocative depiction of the struggle to gain the vote and break through ‘the glass ceiling.’

Councillor Kevin Cranney, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Regeneration Services Committee, said: “Anyone who saw Periplum’s outstanding performance on the Headland four years ago will know that this new outdoor performance is one which is definitely not to be missed.

“The struggle for votes for women was one of the most momentous chapters in our history and in this centenary year I hope people will come along to celebrate that achievement and to share in what I’m sure will be a powerful and memorable event.”

The performance is free and no tickets are needed. Please note that, due to the fact that the performers move around the performance area, the audience is required to stand throughout the performance.

For safety reasons, no dogs or bicycles are allowed within the performance site and parents are advised that the show is not recommended for children aged under eight.

To help make the event even more accessible, Hartlepool Borough Council is providing a free bus service (two 60-seater, low-floor entry yellow buses) to and from the event on a first-come, first-served basis. The two buses will collect and drop off as follows:

‘The Glass Ceiling’ has been funded by Arts Council England and the Tees Valley Combined Authority, and has been co-commissioned by Stockton International Riverside Festival and the Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Darlington Borough Councils.

If people have any further access requirements, please contact Aaron Bowman, Hartlepool Borough Council’ s Cultural Officer on 01429 402761 or email aaron.bowman@hartlepool.gov.uk