"Someone has written a play about Elizabeth Jesser Reid (EJR), and it’s on in Bracknell in mid-March!” Hearing this, we (the Bedford Society Committee) were somewhat incredulous, and I was asked to do some sleuthing.
I quickly established that there was indeed a play and its author was alumna Hedda Bird, who read maths and philosophy at Bedford College from 1979 to 1982. So off we went to South Hill Park Arts Centre in Bracknell to see What She Did With What She Had. As the play was still in development, performances were to be followed by a Q&A session with the actors, author and producer: in view of this, I thought it wise to tip Hedda off that some “knowledgeable” Bedfordians would be in the audience; Hedda responded by stressing that we would be seeing a drama and not a documentary!
In the event, the play, which focuses on the early challenges faced by the redoubtable EJR in setting up the country’s first higher education institution for women, turns out to be hugely entertaining, fast-paced and thought-provoking. The stage is set in EJR’s chintzy drawing room where we witness lively interactions between the rich widow “Lizzie” Reid, her academic mentor Erasmus Darwin (brother of the more famous Charles) and her close friend the social reformer Harriet Martineau (an old flame of Erasmus)- sparks fly and tempers fray as the trio confront the problems, realities and outright opposition to Lizzie’s mission to empower women through higher education. The narrative is skillfully woven around the cast of three quite different characters, brilliantly played by Katie Hamilton (Lizzie), Chris Westgate (Erasmus) and Emma Danby (Harriet).
The Q&A session after the performance was equally rewarding. When the producer Claire Zuurbier discovered that one of our number, Dinah Nichols, was a Reid Scholar, we metaphorically had the red carpet rolled out for us! Claire commented afterwards: “How amazing it was to have you all in the Q&A- it made the experience so much richer for everyone else”.
Feedback from our party was also unanimously positive - one member thought that “using just three characters to illustrate the political and social context of the time, particularly that of Victorian women, worked very well” while another said “the play covered so many insights into women’s education, personal motivation and the spirit of the times. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and the theme of older women reinventing themselves resonates very strongly”.
Hedda and Claire are planning to take the play to London in the autumn and will keep us posted with details of dates and venues. Hopefully, this will allow London-based Bedfordians the opportunity to see this wonderful new play for themselves.
Jennifer Glastonbury
Member, Bedford Society Committee
