Blue Stockings

Blue Stockings

Bebington Drama Society

Gladstone Theatre

10/6/2026

 

Blue Stockings, by Jessica Swale, follows the first female undergraduates at Girton College, Cambridge, in 1896. Over a tumultuous academic year, these bright young women match their male peers in ability but are denied degrees, stigmatized as "blue stockings," and ultimately face a heartbreaking choice between their education and societal expectation. This feisty group of new female students all come from varying backgrounds but they are bound by their belief that a woman is not solely limited to her place in the home. Facing entrenched chauvinism from the establishment, academic rejection and violent misogynistic riots, the women continue to push for Cambridge University to treat them as equals. The women’s battle for recognition unfolds through several intertwined threads throughout the play.

Bebington Drama Society love a challenge, this production was no exception in opening the proceeding with visiting physician, Dr. Maudsley (David Oliver), delivering a lecture based around his latest paper, ‘Sex in Mind and in Education’. He warns the audience that educating women is a dangerous idea as they are governed by their reproductive functions and not designed for an intellectual life. As you can imagine the response from a clearly female strong audience was hilarious. We knew we were had an entertaining evening ahead.

The play tracks this historic battle for the right to graduate through the eyes of four fiercely intelligent first-year students Tess (Rosabelle Bennett), Maeve (Megan McWha), Celia (Alice Rowlands), and Carolyn (Gemma Dykes) Plus the dedicated university staff, Head Elizabeth Welsh (Philippa Hipwell) Miss Blake (Jane Wing) and Mr Banks (Matt Kasprazak) who champion their cause. Their main adversaries being visiting physician Dr Maudsley (David Oliver) supported by the universities staff Prof Collins (Gareth Jones), Prof Andeson (Mike Webster), Prof Radleigh (Roger Hesketh).

The male first year students Ralph Mayhew (Jay Duncan), Lloyd (Adam Comer), Holmes (Stuart Mc Burney), Edwards (Josh Wood), Will Bennett (Connor Jones) who is a scholarship student at the University, unlike the other students he is not from a wealthy background, but is a friend of Tess Moffatt’s from home, but struggles to know how he is supposed to treat her while they are at university. Ralph is one of the students at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He is from a wealthy, privileged background, is immediately attracted to Tess. In the library, Ralph sends a secret invitation to Tess to meet him later in the orchard. Tess evades her chaperone, Miss Bott (Joan Mason) to attend the rendezvous. In his seduction routine, Ralph recites in Italian an excerpt from a sonnet, by Dante da Mairano which he does not understand. Tess is, nevertheless, taken with him. He kisses her hand and they agree to meet again. Tess is flattered, arranges with Mr Peck (David Oliver) the Gardner to let her sneak out to meet Ralph alone, she is truly smitten.

Miss Blake encourages Tess, Celia, Carolyn and Maeve to work hard, to be exceptional, to think for themselves, all in aid of advancing the cause of women's rights to graduate. The boys assemble to hear a lecture by the eminent physician, Dr Maudsley. The arrival of the women causes a stir. Dr Maudsley arrives to lecture about female hysteria, his own opinion being that women have inferior moral strength caused by a weaker mind and will. As he lectures, he repeatedly ignores the female students until Tess can bear no longer and challenges him. Maudsley takes this as evidence of female hysteria and demands that she leave the lecture. She rushes out, whilst her female colleagues are sympathetic; Holmes and Lloyd are furious with Tess for interrupting the lecture. Will Bennet learns of Tess's trouble and the other boys then realise that Will knows Tess. Maeve's brother, Billy (Stuart McBurney) arrives at the college insisting on taking Maeve home. Their mother has died, and the younger siblings need a woman to care for them. Maeve does not want to give up her education or her promise of a future as a teacher. However, Mrs Welsh, fearing that Maeve's story would be ammunition for those who claim that women's education threatens family life, tells Maeve that she must leave Girton.

Celia challenges Tess for putting Ralph above her studies. Tess is insulted and accuses Celia of not understanding love. There is to be a protest march so Carolyn and Tess buy fabric at Mrs Lindley's (Jaime Morgan) haberdashery to make banners to promote degrees for women.  Will seeks out Ralph in the junior common room at Trinity. They embroil him in brandy-drinking and card games. He learns that Ralph is to marry but not to marry Tess. He cannot marry a girl from an institution associated with the radical politics of graduation rights as it would scandalise his family. Will breaks this news to Tess. She is distraught. She confesses to Celia how foolish she has been. She and Celia reconcile. Tess faces her viva examination, but due to spending time with Ralph, she is not as informed as she should be. Carolyn and Celia pass their examinations, but Tess fails. Mrs Welsh allows her to go away for summer and then to return to repeat the year having learned through experience.

Ultimately, despite demonstrating that they are intellectually equal to the men, the women’s vote to graduate is defeated by the university. However, the play ends on a defiant, forward-looking note, highlighting their resilience and establishing the foundation for future generations of female scholars. Director Caroline Kay chose a stellar cast for this production, everyone on the Gladstone stage the evening I attended were splendid, congratulations to you all. What I was astonished that the actual date when women got the right to graduate was 1948….

Thank you Bebington for a wonderful evening of entertainment, and education...

 

Joanne Rymer

NODA

District 4

 

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