DEAR DAUGHTER
by John Waterhouse
A true story, set across suburban Manchester villages in the early years of the Twentieth century. Shortly before her death in 1993, Flora Jewsbury wrote a memoir about a difficult adolescence before and during the First World War. The play is faithful to the memoir, with no embellishments, containing a moving account of a young girl placed with a childless couple only to end up becoming an effective servant. Being moved from one house to another, Flora had no real family but eventually moved in various circles, from the Rechabite religious sect to the Manchester theatre world. . It is a story of triumph over adversity. It is also a time capsule of domestic life in Britain around the time of the Great War.
The play was first performed at Bolton Little Theatre on 7th April 2014.
REVIEW
Read a review of Dear Daughter here
PRODUCTION NOTE
There are a number of photographs of the real characters in the play available for any company wishing to undertake a production of Dear Daughter
Further fascinating background to this play can be found in these news articles – please click the links;
CHARACTERS
Female 1 –
Flora’s Mother – 30’s
The Angel
Sarah (Tom’s wife)
Female 2 –
Flora (Flora, aged 12-20)
Female 3 –
Hilda, Flora’s friend (aged around 8-16)
Marian Crossley – 30’s
Miss Brown, Headmistress at Moston Lane.
Male 1 –
Stanley, Flora’s brother – Early 20’s.
Newsboy.
Charles – Early 20’s.
Director – 40’s.
Uncle Will – 40’s
Sidney Jewsbury – 40’s
Male 2 –
Tom Crossley – 40’s
Fred Rider, a policeman – 30’s
Flora’s Father – 30’s
Harry –late teens.
Alban – early twenties
RUNNING TIME
90 MINUTES
PREVIEW
Preview available here
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