Book Reviews: 50 Women in Theatre

An inspiring fact file of powerful women in theatre, perfect for the drama department library

Part of a series called ‘50 Women in …’, this book must have been good fun and rather satisfying to research and assemble. It consists of – after a detailed 50-page introduction and a short essay about inclusivity by Gabrielle Brooks – 50 short celebrations of the contributions made to theatre by women since 1945. They are wonderfully diverse both in terms of who they are, what they've achieved and the barriers they have broken down.

Thus, the book goes from choreographer Gillian Lyne to producer Thelma Holt, director Jenny Sealey (who is deaf and runs the Graeae Theatre Company) and voice guru Cicely Berry. Actors include Audra McDonald, Meera Syal, Glenda Jackson and Judi Dench; you can also read about influential producers such as Nica Burns, actor/directors like Michelle Terry and Sudha Bhuchar and playwrights including Lynn Nottage, Moira Buffini and Bryony Lavery. Every one of them is the sort of role model the girls in our schools need. Yes, women can succeed in theatre in a wide range of roles, and we need to counteract the negativity some of our students might be confronted with.