The Tragedy of Mariam, Fair Queen of Jewry by Elizabeth Carey

Directed by Elizabeth Schafer
The Studio Theatre, Drama Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, October 1995
The pioneering English playwright Elizabeth Cary (1585-1639) published her play The Tragedy of Mariam in 1613. Mariam is the first known play in English written by a woman; it is also a play full of assertive women characters declaring independence, demanding freedom in marriage, and arguing for the right to divorce. This undergraduate production took as its keynote a speech by Salome from Act 1 Scene 4
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"Why should such privilege to man be given?
Or given to them, why barr’d from women then?
Are men than we in greater grace with Heaven?
Or cannot women hate as well as men?
I’ll be the custom-breaker: and begin
To show my sex the way to freedom’s door…"
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--Cast (in order of appearance)--
Chorus/Elizabeth Carey - Ruth Aldridge
Mariam - Lindsay Stewart
Alexandra - Hannah Rudman
Salome - Alice McLaughlin
Silleus - Nikki Brown
Constabarus - Alexia Daniels
Pheroras - Emma Devereux
Graphina - Rebecca Preuveneers
Babas’ Son - Hannah Rudman
Doris - Karen Hall
Antipater - Diego Nascimento
Ananell - Rebecca Preuveneers
Sohemus - Nikki Brown
Herod - Helen Tozer
Nuntio - Valerie Piederriere
Butler - Anna Wirz
--Crew--
Stage Manager - Valerie Piederriere
Set - Robin Henderson
Lighting - Tony Banner & Anna Wirz
Costume - Lisa Regal & Alexia Daniels
Choreography - Lindsay Stewart
Hurdy Gurdy - Vincent Jones
Filming by Sian Busby