Pilot brings Mary Wollstonecraft back to East Yorkshire

British Theatre Guide podcast

Mary Wollstonecraft, famous for her work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, was born in London in 1759 but spent some of her early life in Beverley near Hull in Yorkshire.

Playwright Maureen Lennon and actor Laura Elsworthy will together bring her back to the region in Maureen’s play Mary and The Hyenas, in which Laura will play Mary.

BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Maureen and Laura while the play was in rehearsal in Hull about Mary’s life and legacy, the continuing relevance of her message, bringing her story to life on stage and the flourishing arts scene in Yorkshire.

Laura Elsworthy stars in the title role of Mary and The Hyenas by Maureen Lennon for Hull Truck Theatre and Pilot Theatre, directed by Esther Richardson with music by Billy Nomates, which runs at Hull Truck Theatre from 7 February to 1 March 2025 before transferring to Wilton’s Music Hall in London from 18 to 29 March.