Mrs Beeton Says

PODCASTS

“I belong To You”

“Mrs Beeton Says”

“Wisdom”

“You There”

Music & Lyrics by Eamonn O’Dwyer

Book by Helen Watts

Directed by Paul Clarkson

Musical Director Pamela Rudge

Designed by Bronia Housman

‘As with the commander of an army, so is it with the mistress of a house.’ 

Isabella Beeton was only 23 years old when she penned these words in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, first published in 1859.  She could not have predicted how they would resonate with women of all classes up and down the country, nor could she have imagined how her name would become synonymous with culinary expertise and domestic bliss for generations to come.

Mrs Beeton Says… is a vibrant new musical examining the life and legacy of this extraordinary woman: a spirited journalist, a tireless entrepreneur, and if not a perfect homemaker, then certainly a queen of organization.

In a world where a woman could not vote, own a house, nor even ride a bicycle, Mrs Beeton’s book gave the women of England something they desperately wanted: a bit of control.  Far more than just a cookbook, it was a manual for life; and as the wheels of British industry span faster than ever before, it became a lifeline for every maid and wife and mother trying to hold her ground in an ever-changing age.

Mrs Beeton Says… is an original musical commission by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Writers Eamonn O’Dwyer (music & lyrics) and Helen Watts (book) first began to develop the piece with BOVTS students in 2017, and are thrilled to be returning to Bristol for a full production at the Redgrave Theatre, directed by Olivier Award-winner Paul Clarkson, with musical direction by Pamela Rudge, and design by Bronia Housman.

Eamonn O’Dwyer is an award-winning composer and an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Recent commissions include The Comedy of Errors (RSC), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (NYMT), Flesh & Bone (NT Studio), Hansel & Gretel (Rose Theatre Kingston), Peter Pan & Grimm Tales (Chichester Festival Theatre).

Helen Watts is a mother of two, who would definitely not win any awards for household management. In her spare time she is a director and writer specialising in adaptation. Credits include Love Is Not A Science (RCSSD), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (NYMT) and various adaptations for The Dorset Corset Theatre Company.

Recommended age: 12yrs+

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