Emilia, Vaudeville Theatre

Think of poetry in the Elizabethan era, and the most likely names to pop up are Shakespeare and Marlowe. But in their shadow, Emilia Bassano was busy penning the first published work of poetry by an Englishwoman. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s play about the overlooked poet opened at Shakespeare’s Globe in August, reaping praise from critics. The remarkable Emilia is now set to take the stage at the West End's Vaudeville Theatre.

Bassano is best known as the rumoured muse for the ‘Dark Lady’ in Shakespeare’s sonnets and as a possible source of inspiration for the various Emilia characters cropping up in Othello,The Winter’s Tale and Two Noble Kinsmen. Her actual story, however, has been left untold for centuries. In Emilia, Bassano is cast as the rightful protagonist: she was a teacher, poet, and mother, who became one of the first feminist writers in England with the publication of her single volume of poems, Salve Deus Rex Judaerum, in 1611.

Directed by Nicole Charles, Emilia’s sell-out run at the Globe was praised as 'extraordinarily rousing' (The Independent) and as having 'so much wit, fierce intelligence and heady intensity' (The Times).The West End production aims to be as revolutionary as its subject matter, boasting an all-female cast and production team. What’s more, it’s offering thousands of seats available for £25 or less, to ensure that the remarkable story is accessible to as broad an audience as possible.