A new play, Butterfly, tells the story of Eleanor Glanville, a pioneering 17th-century naturalist whose love of butterflies was used against her by her abusive husband. The play, which premieres at the Phoenix theatre in Hampshire, translates her experience to the present day, exploring how her passion was manipulated through gaslighting and social media shaming.
Eleanor Glanville discovered the rare Glanville fritillary butterfly, but after her death, her will was overturned by a judge who deemed her 'deprived of her senses' for pursuing butterflies. Writer Claire Jackson has updated the story to a modern setting, where Eleanor's husband Richard, who never appears on stage, controls and belittles her.
The play is structured in four acts mirroring a butterfly's life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. It features a tense two-hander between Eleanor and a psychiatrist, whom she sees only to support her divorce case. Jackson drew inspiration from an opera about Jack the Ripper where the killer never appears, and cites Alan Bennett for sparky dialogue.
Jackson, who has bipolar disorder, reconnected with butterflies during walks while recovering from depression. She notes that while Butterfly Conservation has 49% female membership, sexism persists in some butterfly communities, and safety concerns can deter women from solo butterfly-seeking.
Actor Sally McIlhone, who plays Eleanor, praised the script for capturing the uncertainty of being gaslit. The play aims to show nuance around Eleanor's possible neurodiversity while affirming her grasp of reality and joy in her passion.
