Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse (2018-20)
By
John Maguire
Samantha Alton as The statue of Kitty Wilkinson. This statue is currently the only female statue inside St Georges Hall, Liverpool. Photo credit: Andrew Ab.
A socially-engaged theatre work dealing with class, care and social distancing.
“KITTY: Queen of the Washhouse” is a theatre-based work that celebrates Kitty Wilkinson (1786–1860), whose community efforts for public hygiene helped stem the outbreak of cholera, leading to the opening of the first combined washhouse and public baths in the United Kingdom. A pioneer that many people know of but may not comprehend her dramatic life story, the project highlights the importance of working within a community in a time where more and more people are becoming socially isolated.
It started as a small piece of research and development played in a few pub theatre venues and community hubs. There was a real push by audiences around this project that developed into a bigger production that included, education workshops, debates, film and Q and A sessions. History lovers, local, national and international, feminists, those from Irish backgrounds and Northerners will all have a natural connection with this theatre piece. We wanted people to feel like they understood how Liverpool was in the 1830s. We wanted them to be totally immersed in Kitty’s life story and have a deeper understanding of the political, social climate she lived in; to feel inspired at how Kitty kept on going when faced with adversity. We wanted her resilience to serve as a catalyst to inspire people to be the best version of themselves and to take a little bit of Kitty’s attitude away with them from the event.
Our production was a one-woman show and involved the statue of Kitty Wilkinson coming alive to tell her story. In 2019 the play was performed in Liverpool selling out 1000 seats at the Grade 1 listed St Georges Hall then followed a tour of primary schools, including St. Vincent de Paul (the site of her original washhouse) and Broad Square - to over 650 primary school pupils. We led workshops teaching the children about life in the Victorian Mills and taught them an old Mill Song. A rural tour of Shropshire was undertaken to schools and community hubs, with each performance accompanied by an audience question and answer sessions to 1,500. We engaged with 45,000 people online through our social media platforms. Our aim was to make more people aware of this character who embodied a community spirit that is embedded in the very social energy in Liverpool today; to try a different approach to theatre-making, by playing to venues in areas, not traditionally associated with theatre, that don't normally have good access to the arts and to lead on workshops to teach about working-class Victorian Liverpool and offer a new perspective on history.
Just before the Covid pandemic outbreak, the play was staged again on March 7th 2020 at St Georges Hall and once again sold out. In response to the emergency, we recorded a public health message that promotes important messages about handwashing and social distancing using our Kitty character. Culture Liverpool commissioned an outdoor performance of the play as part of their #WithoutWalls project, but this is currently on hold until further notice.
“A mind-blowing experience, an amazing performance. Kindness is love in working clothes.”
More information: https://www.artsgroupie.org/kitty-queen-of-the-wash-house/
