Almost everyone knows that the way Women are represented in the majority of modern media is questionable to say the least. Most media forms have come a long way and learnt many lessons about the correct way to portray women in line with modern society. This is especially evident in the theatre industry. Women in theatre across the centuries have in no way had it easy, as with everything we seem to do, females have had to fight for their right to a stage presence. For the past 400 years, women have been facing an ongoing battle to be given the same opportunities in the theatre industry as their male counterparts. Yet, it’s only in recent years that these opportunities have even come close to what one would label as “equal”.
17th Century
Up until the 1600’s, it was practically unheard of for a woman to appear on stage anywhere in the world Female roles were played by men on the stage and it was incredibly rare that a woman would ever have their own writing published in any capacity. If women were fortunate enough to be given the luxury, it would likely have to pass a heavy censor – so heavy, in fact, that many women were accused of witchcraft because of their writing. There were also many reports of women pretending to be men to be given the opportunity to perform. It wasn’t until the 1660’s when women were first given permission to be on stage. After the restoration of King Charles II, Margaret Hughes became the first woman to legally appear on stage, as Desdemona in The Moor Of Venice. Around the same time, Aphra Behn broke another mould by becoming the first female to earn a living as a playwright.
18th Century
By the 1700’s theatre was booming in the UK. Women were allowed to perform in most places. Popular roles among females were known as “breeches” roles, which involved cross dressing. In 1777, Sarah Siddons took the title male role of Hamlet, beginning a tradition that many women went on to continue. But as always, women still faced huge amounts of prejudice. Shocker. At the time, most of London’s theatres were located in Covent Garden. Which, conveniently, was also bustling with brothels. Needless to say, this created somewhat of an association between women working in theatre and women selling their bodies – bringing shame on women who just wanted to be professional and respected. Writers and critics involved with the industry would regularly obsess over the real and potential sexual exploits of actresses. Meanwhile, men continued to reap the successes of London’s theatre productions, as they always had.
19th Century
Over the 1900’s, women made up the majority of theatregoers. Not only that, the number of aspiring actresses increased dramatically. The amount of women whose profession was officially documented as “actress” rose by more than 500% in the US. This was a considerable breakthrough for women, and proof that the idea of women working in this field was becoming more popular and accepted among the community.
20th Century
The 20th Century became the point where women finally began to win awards for their contributions to the arts. In 1947, the prestigious Tony Awards, were named after Antoinette ‘Tony’ Perry, co founder of the American Theatre Wing. 1959 saw Lorraine Hansberry the first black woman to ever have one of her plays produced on Broadway. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ highlighted issues in the lives of Black Americans living under racial segregation in Chicago. Successes for black women didn’t stop there as 1972 was to see the first play directed by a black woman performed on Broadway. ‘Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope’, directed by Vinnette Caroll opened on April 19th, 1972 and was nominated for four Tony Awards. Given the many accomplishments for women in this century. Especially minority women. The way was well and truly paved for 21st Century women to kick ass in the industry.
21st Century
Like a fine wine or a good steak, things supposedly only get better with age. The same can be said about the way women have been represented in theatre. Women have gone from being banned from performing, to now having complete freedom in the theatre industry. In effect, we can do whatever the hell we want. This freedom has given way to a huge breakthrough in women’s theatre. From Tony’s to Oliviers, women have won immeasurable numbers of awards for their talents and contributions to an industry that is still hugely dominated by men, especially where writing and directing is concerned.
The last couple of years have been especially progressive in regards to bringing women’s voices to the stage. London’s West End is currently home to a plethora of theatre, created with women at the helm, and the potential to inspire and empower women of all ages.
Sara Bareilles’ Waitress, flaunts a female led creative team, at the same time as telling the story of one woman’s journey in the pursuit of happiness.
The summer theatre season of 2019 saw a first for Shakespeare’s Globe, after the theatre’s artistic director, Michelle Terry, commissioned a story of one of history’s most iconic, yet forgotten women.
Emilia told the tale of Emilia Bassano, England’s first published female poet and the ‘dark lady’ of Shakespeare’s sonnets. As the only production in the west end made up of an entirely female cast, crew and creative team, the show broke the mould and flipped age old misogynistic standards on their heads. The show, though now finished its run in London, has recently made its rights available to schools and drama clubs in an effort to have Emilia’s story, a story of empowerment and equality, told to young people all around the UK and beyond.
Shows across London in the 21st Century have developed over the years to now put women in a position where they feel represented and listened to by producers and creative teams. From Six, giving the six wives of King Henry VIII a voice that was once only present as “just one word in a stupid rhyme”. To Come From Away telling the story of American Airlines’ first ever female captain. Women are being given voices in ways history would never have thought possible. Despite these efforts, women haven’t quite reached equality yet. And some may believe we never will. Most shows in the West End are still under heavy male influence, of more than 60 West End shows, a minute number of these shows have a significant female focus. Not only that, according to 2018 statistics, a pay gap still exists between genders in the industry.
Evidently, patrons of all genders enjoy the West End as it is, but with more women than ever trying to get into theatre both on stage and off, it’s clear that theatre with women at the forefront would benefit all involved. Perhaps, the dawn of a new decade will see the change we’re all hoping for.
