Women of Aktion

The stories of revolutionary women who brought about the end of WWI explored through the imagined collaboration between Joan Littlewood and anarchist German playwright Ernst Toller

Written by Mick Martin | Directed by Jude Wright & Mick Martin

INTERNATIONAL TOUR: 3 October - 17 November 2018

“Mick Martin’s cracking play... Nothing short of civil war in studs.” Alfred Hickling on Broken Time (the Guardian)

The documentation of history is an act of omission; certain stories are unjustly forgotten, usually those of women. As we approach the centenary of the 1918 Armistice, Bent Architect draws on two years of work with academics at the University of Leeds and across Germany to bring to light the hitherto untold stories of the women behind the Kiel Mutiny of 1918, a seismic act of rebellion that helped spark the end of the First World War and the beginning of the German Revolution, all through the imaged collaboration of a young Joan Littlewood and the anarchist playwright, Ernst Toller.

It’s the 1930s and Joan Littlewood has just arrived in Manchester with fire in her belly and revolution on her mind. When she and the left-wing playwright and ex-political prisoner Ernst Toller begin work on his play telling the story of the Kiel Mutiny of 1918, Littlewood demands to know, where are the women? Rallying the voices of the oppressed, from the factories of northern England to the mills of northern Germany, they embark on a journey to share the verbatim stories of the truly revolutionary women who changed the course of history.

Mick Martin and Jude Wright said, ‘That women helped drive the Kiel mutiny of 1918 is both airbrushed out of history and hugely important, now more than ever as tensions across Europe build and forces we thought vanquished rear their ugly heads again; these stories are vital to our understanding of ourselves and our history. Having researched the story of British opposition to WWI, we were struck by the lack of research into German peacemakers. It's been incredibly exciting to work alongside the researchers at the University of Leeds to uncover these hidden stories in the centenary year of the beginning of female suffrage in both the UK & Germany.’

Since 2006 Bent Architect, comprised of Jude Wright and Mick Martin, have created a substantial repertoire of original theatre, touring to numerous theatre and non-theatre venues and delivering a range of educational activities alongside. By working with a variety of partners, they have been able to deliver their shows to audiences who would not usually engage creatively with their work. Their main artistic and conceptual interests lie in platforming the voices of the voiceless and those historically ostracised by society. Although their work sits on the fringes of traditional theatre, they have worked closely with a number of artistic partners, including Manchester’s Contact Theatre (Darwin’s Worms residency & performance), Brick Box Collective (Wonderful World Of… residency and performance) and Lawrence Batley Theatre (England, Arise! R&D residency and performance prior to national tour).

@BentArchitectCo | #WomenofAktion | facebook.com/BentArchitect | www.bentarchitect.co.uk

Running Time: 85 mins | Suitable for ages 14+

Company Information
Directed by Jude Wright & Mick Martin

Written by Mick Martin
Produced by Bent Architect

Lighting design Sherry Coenen

Film/ visuals Dave Lynch

Music Claire Marie Seddon

Sound design Mark Nesbitt

Movement direction Keira Martin

Cast
Claire-Marie Seddon
Francesca Anderson
Rachel Gill Davis