| Main Performers | Israel Zangwill,
Teresa Billington-Greig,
Mrs Despard,
Tennessee Lady Cook (chair),
Mrs Arncliffe-Sennet - speakers
Pageant actresses including:
Miss Ellen Terry (Nance Oldfield),
Mrs Brown Potter (Charlotte Corday),
Miss Elsie Craven (young Queen Victoria) |
| Secondary Performers | Mrs Layton - organ
Madame Marie Breman - vocal |
| Set List | Meeting:
Organ Recital (Mrs Layton ARCO),
Speeches (Lady Cook, Mr Israel Zangwill, Mrs Billington-Greig, Mrs Arncliffe Sennett),
Distribution of Toys from the Christmas Tree to children,
Talk to the children (Mrs Despard),
Yuletide Festival including:
Bazaar in Gallery,
Christmas Tree,
Athene Gallery by Suffrage Atelier,
Ladies' Orchestra,
Poster Competition
Old Christmas Songs (Madame Marie Breman)
Women's Freedom League Plays in the West Theatre (Elgar Room):
'The Pot and the Kettle',
'Before Sunrise',
'How the Vote Was Won',
'Press Cuttings', G Bernard Shaw,
'At the Gates'
Meeting and Drama - 'Pageant of Women', Cicely Hamilton, directed Edith Craig (Ellen Terry, Bown Potter, Elsie Craven etc.) |
| Performance Notes | The event was organised by B Bowman Wells and was held to raise funds for the General Election. A bazaar comprised of everal stalls in the gallery sold goods representing countries in which women had been enfranchised.
"SUFFRAGIST FESTIVAL.
RAISING AN ELECTION FUND.
Several thousand ladies and some hundreds of gentlemen attended a Yuletide festival held in the Albert Hall on Saturday. The event was organised by the Women's Freedom League, with the object of raising funds to enable the league to take an active part in the General Election campaign. The President, Mrs Despard, and Tennessee Lady Cook, who occupied the chair at a meeting in the afternoon, held a reception in the arena, while an organ recital was given by Mrs Layton. At the meeting Lady Cook stated that she would contribute £1,000 towards the election fund, and Mrs Arncliffe Bennett gave her diamond ring, valued at £50. Miss Sime Seruya [co-founder of the Actresses' Franchise League] also gave £50, and there were other contributions of smaller amounts, which swelled the total to £1,500."
(The Daily Telegraph, 13 December 1909)
"A new meaning may apparently be read into the wish "A merry Christmas" customary at this time of year. At their Yuletide festival in the Albert Hall on Saturday the Women's Freedom League discussed their future plans in the campaign for obtaining votes, and Mrs Billington Greig said that three hundred women were required to devote themselves exclusively to the business of the General Election Home ties are a secondary consideration even at Chrsitmas. Suffragists who are married are counselled to tell their husbands they must get housekeepers until the battle is over, and those others who earn their own livelihood must get leave of absence from their employers, and take their places in the ranks of women "struggling to be free.""
(Northern Daily Telegraph, 13 December 1909)
"The Yuletide Festival of the Women's Freedom League at the Albert Hall on Saturday was an entire success. Considering that the Leafue did not get control of the hall until eight o'clock Mrs Despard, the President , received the members and guests. Even before that a competition for decorated boxes had taken place. These boxes fouteen in number, belonging belonging to various branches of the association , were adorned with flowers and banners and inscriptions.
The Furthernace of the work of the League of course, dominated every part of the festival, but it took an attractive shape in the theater, where five plays, including 'How the vote was won' and 'Press Cuttings' were preformed. Press Cuttings by G Barnard Shaw, in its original form, was banned by the censor.
The pageant of great women, arranged by Misses Cicely Hamilton and Edith Craig , was also repeated with great success. Miss Ellen Terry as 'Nance Oldfield' and Mrs Brown Potter as 'charlotte Corday' being among the best known of the mnay actresses taking part in this fascination procession.
Speecehs were delivered during the afternoon and evening by Tennessee Lady Cook, Mrs Despard, Mrs Billington Grig and Mr I Zangwill. TennesseeLady Cook announced that she would give£1,000 towards the General Election fund."
(Northern Daily Telegraph, 13 December 1909)
Public premiere of revised version of George Bernard Shaw's 'Press Cuttings'. |
| Related Archival Material | Ephemera - Israel Zangwill printed speech (RAHE/8/2/19) |