Mary Mary 2023

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The world premiere staged reading of a new musical about the extraordinary lives of Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) and her mother, the 18th century feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft.

If your life is a book, will it be one that you want to read?

Mary Wollstonecraft was an 18th century writer who spent her life advocating for the rights of women. Her daughter Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein when she was just nineteen. They both lived extraordinary lives. Join us for a work-in-progress reading of this new musical by Sydney-based writer Kate Knott that tells the story of these trailblazing women. After the reading, a Q&A and feedback session will be held, with audience members invited to share their responses to the first public performance.

For almost 200 years, the contribution that Mary Wollstonecraft made towards the emancipation of women was overshadowed by conservative attitudes towards her unconventional lifestyle. Her daughter Mary Shelley's prodigious talent has often been overshadowed by the fame of her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, with some critics proclaiming that he must have written significant parts of Frankenstein. This work is part of a groundswell that sees the women stepping into their own spotlight; that recognises their extraordinary achievements making a living as writers at a time when married women were not even legally able to own property. The musical touches on aspects of their lives that still have huge resonance today; the right of a woman to make her own choices in life; the right of a mother to also be a creator; how youthful passion and idealism can be bent and battered by the realities of living, but how each life lived unapologetically and authentically can be a step on the path towards a better world.

Presented as part of Sydney Fringe Festival