'They did not understand, you see, that what is stitched with a needle is not always innocent... Needles are dangerous.'

The year is 1569, and in a cold, stone room in a Staffordshire castle, a group of women sew elaborate tapestries. Rich or poor, at home or held against their will, four women's lives intersect on the point of a needle.

Embroidery is their escape, their sanity, and their expression: of love, loss, artistry and power. For these women's stitches have the power to change not just their own lives, but the course of English history.

Inspired by the tapestries created when Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, The Glove Thief by Beth Flintoff is part of Platform, an initiative from Tonic Theatre in partnership with Nick Hern Books. Aimed at addressing gender imbalance in theatre, Platform comprises big-cast plays with predominantly or all-female casts, written specifically for performance by young actors.

About the Author
Beth Flintoff is a playwright, dramaturg and theatre director. Her plays include: A Christmas Carol (Reading Rep, 2021/22); The Ballad of Maria Marten (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, and UK tour, 2020/21); The World We Made (Warwick Arts Centre, 2019); The Glove Thief (2017, commissioned by Tonic Theatre Company as part of their Platform scheme in association with Nick Hern Books); Matilda the Empress (Reading Between the Lines, Reading, 2017); and Greenham: One Hundred Years of War and Peace (a large-scale site specific performance piece performed on Greenham Common in September 2017). She is currently an Associate Artist at Rabble Theatre Company, for whom she has written plays including Henry I, Matilda the Empress, Henry II, and The Last Abbot. Previously she was the founding Artistic Director of new-writing fringe ensemble Debut Theatre Company, and was Outreach Director at The Watermill Theatre in Berkshire. Author photo by Ian Legge.

Reviews

'Captures the palpable frustration of women who, while strong in mind and will, are nonetheless held back by the machinations of men... tells a good story in a lively way that, if anything, makes [its] message all the more poignant'

* Drama Magazine *

'Warm, intelligent, exciting and accessible historicised drama... an exciting story refreshingly told which places independent women of all classes centre stage'

* Teaching Drama *



Book Information
ISBN 9781848426535
Author Beth Flintoff
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books