Introduction

The thing that excites me about theatre is the chance to study human behaviour, to watch ourselves in all our glorious complexity. Except for a long time we weren’t watching everyone equally; historically, women have been underrepresented on stage and it has only been over the past few years that we have started to see a shift. But the lack of women’s roles over the years has reduced the choice of suitable play texts available for training; it has led to casting anomalies in final drama school showcases where you frequently see four women playing one central role, with each woman handing the role on like a baton in a relay, and in youth theatre productions where there are already fewer male students so that girls double up or take on boys’ roles. It’s not just about quantity but quality too. Women’s roles are still frequently less challenging, less likely to drive the story and only suitable for actresses from a narrower range of ages and backgrounds. Unsurprisingly, aspiring actors are fed up. They want complex roles that are integral to the play, develop their training, skills and confidence, and which truly represent the lives of all women.