ON STAGE, SIDE FRONT, NARRATOR. CHORUS IN LINES AT BACK OF STAGE, WITH BACKS TO THE AUDIENCE, STANDING VERY STILL. NARRATOR. The women’s suffrage movement began in 1865 when the Kensington Society was formed as a result of women aspiring to higher education.

A, B AND C TURN, HOLDING UP PLACARDS SHOWING SLOGANS. A STEPS FORWARD WITH BANNER “DEEDS NOT WORDS”..

NARRATOR “Deeds not words’was the inspiring slogan used as a rallying cry by the Women’s Social and Political Union formed in 1903 under the leadership of Emmeline Pankhurst.

B STEPS FORWARD WITH BANNER “FIGHT ON AND GOD WILL GIVE US VICTORY”.

NARRATOR Right throughout the 19th Century the movement gathered momentum and was supported by many well known men including John Stuart Mill and Keir Hardy, but was strongly opposed by Winston Churchill in 1905.

C STEPS FORWARD WITH BANNER “ARISE GO FORTH AND CONQUER”. NARRATOR By 1903 when it was obvious that neither Parliament nor the public were supporting the cause, the suffragettes organised marches and meetings, defaced buildings, broke windows and interrupted political gatherings. This led to the arrest of demonstrators, even for minor offences.

NARRATOR CONTS. Christabel Pankhurst, for example, went to prison for a week for so called “spitting at a policeman” who was holding her down.

A, B AND C TURN RIGHT, MARCH A FEW PACES, TURN AND MARCH BACK. CHORUS ALL TURN TOGETHER TO FACE THE AUDIENCE.

ENTER TWO WELL OFF WOMEN G AND H

G

I fail to understand why these women want the vote. After all, we have husbands who provide for us, and what do we want with politics? We should leave such things to our men, who understand them.

H TO G

Well, it is not just the vote. It involves much more. We MUST have a say in how our taxes are spent, on education, health care and housing among other....

W.W. STEPS OUT FROM CHORUS, INTERRUPTS H.

W.W. She’s right you know, all about that. TURNS TO CROWD Some of you know what the homes are like where the men don’t let the women manage things. Well.. .the whole government is in the same muddle because the men have tried to do the national housekeeping without the advice of women.

ROARS FROM THE CROWD.