Hull Truck Theatre raises the curtain on Mary and the Hyenas - Hull Live
07 Feb 2025 | Press Release
Hull Truck caught up with Maureen Lennon and director, Esther Richardson, ahead of the opening to give Hull Live readers some insider knowledge on what audiences can expect from the play. Lennon said: “This show delves deep into the life of trailblazing writer, philosopher and feminist icon, Mary Wollstonecraft, whose passion and energy captured me, along with her ideas, and I kept thinking there must be a play in it. Then I stumbled across a Plan International report that showed how the human rights of girls were being compromised across the UK. Hull was one of the cities highlighted where girls were really being failed. It made me feel like Mary’s story and writing still had so much to say to us now.” “It made it feel urgent. So many of the things she struggled with in her life felt recognisable to me.” Raised in Beverley and known across the world, from her passionate advocacy for women’s rights to her tumultuous personal journey, Mary and the Hyenas captures the spirit and resilience of a woman who dared to defy the conventions of her time, but is the story of Mary Wollstonecraft still relevant today? Richardson believes so. She said: “The fight for gender equality and equity continues in 2025 and it’s a global as well as national issue, so everything that Mary was arguing for, is still relevant in many places in the world including in the UK. It’s unusual to have a rehearsal room where most of the team identify as female, and, because as a group we represent daughters, sisters, aunties, carers and mums, there is no one who doesn’t identify with the play’s themes in some way and this will also be true for the vast majority of the audience.” Featuring original music by Billy Nomates (Tor Maries), audiences are set to take a whirlwind journey through history in this witty, laugh out loud and searing tribute to the courage and determination of a woman who dared to take a stand. Richardson said the inclusion of music was the vision from the start. “When integrated into drama, music and song always heightens the emotional register, so the music makes everything bigger and more vivid in the moments it is used.” Lennon was also over the moon with the idea of Tor’s music and that she might get involved. “We knew she could bring a perspective and sound that was so unique and exciting”. For those eager to hear a sample of the music before the show hits the stage, the eagerly anticipated album is now available on all streaming services, including songs “How’d you grow a girl” and “Find your tribe”. The cast will be made up of six actors, including Laura Elsworthy who will play the title role of Mary Wollstonecraft. Most recently appearing as Lizzie in REYKJAVIC at the Hampstead Theatre, Elsworthy will be known to local audiences for playing Juliet in Romeo & Juliet at Hull Truck Theatre in 2021. Kate Hampson, Ainy Medina, Elexi Walker, Beth Crame and Kat Johns-Burke make up the rest of the cast of talented actors, who will perform multiple roles. Richardson said: “The show is a real feat to witness with an all-female cast singing incredible powerful music, dancing and acting throughout. “Everyone in the company and team is so talented, imaginative and hardworking, it is an honour to be making this play.” In real life situations when humans are engaged in the struggle to make change happen, laughter is essential to release pressure and an important source of resistance. Lennon’s writing is very attuned to this, and Richardson insists the show plays out truthfully. “The play is full of big, dramatic and almost ‘beyond belief’ events and so there is the heartbreak and struggle but also the funny side, too,” she said. “Creating space for this comedy helps us to show and highlight injustice and to focus our arguments on the drama, but if the production is funny and produces laughter, that is also because the actors are playing the truth of the events, the story and characters in the play.” Mary and the Hyenas will transfer to London’s Wilton’s Musical Hall in March after its run at Hull Truck Theatre. Tickets are available at hulltruck.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01482 323638. Recommended age guidance 13+. A number of access and school’s performances are also available.
