We are so delighted to welcome back the passionate and heartfelt Peter Barratt with his 2018 Fringe Show “Alice Hawkins – Suffragette”.
For those who missed his spoken word show last year, Peter Barratt is the great-grandson of suffragette Alice Hawkins who strongly campaigned for women’s rights one hundred years ago, is coming back to the Centre for the 2018 Fringe Festival! Take a look at the interview below and book your space here.
Hello Peter! Thank you for taking the time to answer our few questions. Could you remind us briefly what your show is about?
I will be speaking on the inspiring life of my suffragette great-grandmother Alice Hawkins and her campaign for the right to vote over a 100 years ago. As I speak of Alice’s campaigning years, I illustrate the talk with images of the suffragette memorabilia that once belonged to Alice and is still with the family to this day and am strongly supported by actor Ruth Pownall who plays the part of Alice, adding an extra dimension to the show. Alice’s sash, hunger strike medal, prison notes and more are all illustrated in the show. It is a fantastic collection and is considered to be one of the finest examples in the UK today still with descendants.
It will be the second time that you are performing at the Fringe, how do you feel about it and have you added some new elements since last year?
The audiences at last year’s Fringe were so enthusiastic and receptive I felt we had to return and for a longer run. There certainly are new elements to the show as through the great support of staff at The National Archives in London, documented notes and statements that Alice made have recently been discovered. Her experiences on ‘Black Friday’ for example are in a statement taken by a journalist of the day, Henry Brailsford.
You and Alice have been featured in the local and national news plus BBC and Sky this year, have you noticed a different interest in 2018 especially from the media in general? and why?
This year is a special year to be at the Fringe as it is the centenary of women (in part) first gaining the vote. Also after a successful fundraising campaign I co-lead, we unveiled a bronze statue of Alice in a centenary week last February in her hometown of Leicester. The first of only four suffrage statues due to be unveiled this year in the UK. (See photo).The unveiling gained national media attention and now a major exhibition ‘Voice and Vote: Women’s place in Parliament’ has just opened at Parliament in London featuring Alice’s suffragette memorabilia.
Over one hundred thousand visitors are expected during its three-month run and many international Fringe-goers will have the opportunity to visit the free exhibition when visiting London, seeing Alice’s memorabilia first hand.
How do you think that your spoken word show can be a relevant way to approach a serious subject such as women rights and sex equality?
Alice became a suffragette and campaigned throughout her life on the issue of gaining equal pay for the women in the shoe factories where she worked and the issue of equal pay is as relevant today for women as it was over a 100 years ago. Through hearing the inspiring life story of Alice I believe it will encourage women today to campaign on issues that affect their own lives and use the vote as an influencer of positive change in society.
Is there anything further you’d like to share about your show?
As a proud descendant, I truly believe speaking of Alice’s campaign for the rights of women is my calling in life and is a fantastic story to be told.
Book your tickets for Alice Hawkins – Suffragette’s show on the official Fringe website now!
