May Morris in Performance

May Morris in Performance

Though May Morris, daughter of William Morris, is best known as a designer, embroiderer and lecturer, she also wrote widely on design and needlework as well as Socialism, and edited her father’s poems for publication. Her interest in theatre is well-known, but it is often overlooked that she wrote two short plays, Lady Griselda’s Dream (1898) and White Lies (1903), which as far as we know have never been performed. The plays show the influence of contemporary drama, and are drawing-room plays which focus on the lives of women and the difficult choices they often make. They are both humorous and tragic, and show us a side of May Morris that we don’t usually see.

The plays will be performed by actors from Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, directed by Professor David Roberts. The project ‘May Morris in Performance’ is led by Professor Serena Trowbridge at Birmingham City University, as part of a wider project on Pre-Raphaelite women’s writing.

Monday 15th June, 6pm (running time about 110 minutes including a 20 minute interval).