In Shelagh Stephenson’s spiky comedy, Mary Astell and Virginia Woolf become celestial companions in an afterlife that resembles a repository for forgotten women. Astell, often considered England’s first feminist, is surprised to find herself knitting, while Woolf, secure in her literary canon, roams freely. The play explores their differences in religion, science, and the centuries that separate them.
Performed by Phillippa Wilson as the starchy Astell and Tessa Parr as the expansive Woolf, the duo form an amusing double act. In Karen Traynor’s production, they find common ground in their independence, rejection of patriarchy, and love of laughter, eventually developing a taste for sherry.
Stephenson’s play, the third in a ‘Cullercoats trilogy’, contrasts with Sartre’s No Exit by identifying domineering men as the devil. Through witty banter, it highlights progress, ongoing battles, and sacrifices made by feminist pioneers, though the conversational style lacks dramatic urgency.
