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Education Resource Kit prepared by Patrick Howard and Jordan Keyes-Liley for AIM Dramatic Arts
© 2014 AIM Dramatic Arts
AIM DRAMATIC ARTS
2014 GRADUATING COMPANY
PRODUCTION
HER NAKED SKIN
TEACHER’S EDUCATION RESOURCE KIT
Section
1. About AIM Dramatic Arts
2. About this Production
Creative Mentors
Creative Team
Cast
3. Synopsis
4. The Playwright: Rebecca Lenkiewicz
5. About Her Naked Skin
6. The Director: Peta Downes
Director’s Notes
7. Designers’ Notes
8. Historical Context: London, 1913
The Suffragette Movement
Historical Timeline: 1912-1913
9. Curriculum Links
Discussion Topics for Before Seeing the Play
Discussion Topics for After Seeing the Play
Research Activities
Additional Resources / Links
10. Ticketing and Performance Information
Performance Dates
Getting to Pilgrim Theatre
Theatre Etiquette
12. Bibliography
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
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2 ABOUT AIM DRAMATIC ARTS
The Dramatic Arts department of the Australian Institute
of Music (AIM) was formerly known as the Australian
Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA). Based in Pilgrim
House in the Sydney CBD, it provides students with the
unique opportunity to train professionally as actors,
theatre-makers and producers within its Bachelor of Performance program.
Students learn the craft of acting and gain fundamental theatre-making skills in the areas of
directing, design and technical production required for a professional career in the performing
arts. For more information on AIM Dramatic Arts, the Bachelor of Performance and future
performances and Professional Development workshops, visit:
www.aim.edu.au/dramaticarts
ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION
AIM Dramatic Arts is proud to present the Australian premiere of Her Naked Skin by
Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
This is a Stage 5 Bachelor of Performance production and the result of nearly two years of
training by the 2014 Graduating Company. Working with director Peta Downes and under
the guidance of industry mentors (as below), the Graduating Company has designed, created
and produced all elements of this production. In addition to this, they also perform as the cast
for Her Naked Skin.
CREATIVE MENTORS
Directing/Producing/Marketing
Peta Downes
Production/Stage Management
Dramaturgy
Tim Burns
Margaret Davis
Voice and Accent Coaching
Movement Coaching
Antony Grgas
Anca Frankenhaeuser
Design (Set, Props and Costume)
Lighting Design
Megan Venhoek
Martin Kinnane
AV Design
Sound Design
Tim Hope
Nate Edmondson
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
3 CREATIVE TEAM
Director/Executive Producer
Associate Producers
Peta Downes
Emma Khamis
Tabitha Woo
Assistant Directors
Madeline Baghurst
Sarah Watson
Patrick Howard
Jordan Keyes-Liley
Dramaturges
Production Manager
Deputy Production/Technical Manager
Rebecca Casey
Iley Jones
Stage Manager
Marketing and Publicity Managers
Bronte Axam
Troy Kent
Genevieve Muratore
Voice and Accent Coaches
Myles Burgin
Blake Feltis
Nathan Wilson
Movement Coach
Set and Props Designers
Costume Designers
Joanne Coleman
Victor Kalka
Mariya Tkachenko
Alexis Hammerton
Olivia O’Flynn
Ellie May Stewart
Lighting Designer
AV Designer
Dominic Bock
Lachlan Stafford
Sound Designers
Ben Cornford
Ryan Devlin
The Creative Team in a Creative Development session early into the process of producing Her Naked Skin.
Photo ©Lachlan Stafford.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
4 CAST
Lady Celia Cain
Eve Douglas
Florence Boorman
Mrs. Schliefke
Mrs. Briggs
Emily Wilding Davison/Mrs. Major/Suffragette
Mary Nicholson/Waitress/Eve Douglas Understudy
Young Nurse/Suffragette/Celia Cain Understudy
Wardress 1/Suffragette
Wardress 2/Suffragette/Florence Boorman Understudy
Flower Lady/Miss Beecham/Young Suffragette
Clara Franks/Mrs. Collins/Suffragette
Nurse/Felicity/Suffragette
Miss Brint/Suffragette
William Cain
Madeline Baghurst
Mariya Tkachenko
Sarah Watson
Emma Khamis
Genevieve Muratore
Ellie May Stewart
Jordan Keyes-Liley
Alexis Hammerton
Rebecca Casey
Joanne Coleman
Iley Jones
Olivia O’Flynn
Tabitha Woo
Bronte Axam
Ryan Devlin
H.H. Asquith/Guard 2
John Seely/Guard 3/MP
Patrick Howard
Dominic Bock
Keir Hardie/Guard 1
Edward Grey/Dr Klein/MP
Troy Kent
Victor Kalka
Augustine Birrell/Brown
Charlie Power/MP
Myles Burgin
Nathan Wilson
Potter/Hunt/Robert Cecil
Newspaper Vendor/Dr Vale/Waiter/MP
Lachlan Stafford
Ben Cornford
Dr Parker/Speaker/Lord Curzon/William Cain Understudy
Blake Feltis
The cast rehearse classical dance in an acting class. Photos ©Genevieve Muratore AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
5 SYNOPSIS
On June 4 1913, Emily Wilding Davison stepped onto the track of the Epsom Derby and
was trampled by the king’s horse. She died four days later from major head wounds. This
incident became international news; shocking the Liberal government in the United
Kingdom and shining fresh light on the forced-feeding that suffragettes were subjected to in
Holloway Prison. Davison herself was forcibly fed 49 times. She became the suffragette
movement’s first martyr (Hogenboom, 2013).
During these tense four days, the suffragette movement became increasing visible and
increasingly violent. While waiting at a demonstration in London’s West End, Lady Celia
Cain is approached by first-time activist, 20 year old Eve Douglas. Eve jumps the gun and
smashes shop front windows with a hammer. The two, along with a band of fellow
suffragettes, are arrested and sent to Holloway Prison.
The women are treated and prosecuted as terrorists rather than political prisoners, particularly
Florence Boorman, a career suffragist-turned-suffragette. The women are placed in the
prison’s Second Division, where they spend 23 hours of the day in solitude. The women go
on a hunger strike to bring attention to the suffragette cause, as a result they are routinely
subjected to archaic forced-feeding.
William Cain, Celia’s husband, bribes his way into Celia’s prison cell and brings in the
luxuries of the outside world. Celia and William have a tumultuous relationship at best and
their secret rendezvous is made all the worse when William implores Celia to see a
psychiatrist. Celia, meanwhile, is struck by Eve’s unconventional style and refusal to conform
to societal standards. The two soon begin an affair. William and Celia argue about Celia’s
role in the increasingly violent suffragette movement, and William’s alcoholism becomes
increasingly apparent. The violation of Florence’s human rights becomes routine. The first act
ends with Celia and Eve confessing their love for one another in Eve’s tiny Limehouse flat.
Act Two starts with a bang in Epping Forest: Florence leads Celia, Eve and a group of
suffragettes in a crash-course on shooting targets. Celia and Eve’s relationship begins to
intensify and they soon feel the outside pressure on their forbidden romance.
William is subjected to increasing public pressure and ridicule, as he is forced to defend
Celia’s role in the suffragette movement against the most outspoken anti-female Member of
Parliament, Lord Curzon.
As the relationship between Eve and Celia deepens, a drunken William presents Celia with
an ultimatum: give up the cause or be cut off forever. Faced with the prospect of losing her
home and money, Celia must make a choice between her love for Eve, her newfound
independence as a Suffragette or her duty as a wife.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
6 THE PLAYWRIGHT:
REBECCA LENKIEWICZ
Rebecca Lenkiewicz was born in Plymouth, Devon,
England in 1968. She Film and English at the University
of Kent, graduating in 1989, and then later trained as an
actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama,
graduating in 1998. She initially worked as an actor for the
Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre,
notably in Bacchai (2002), directed by Sir Peter Hall.
Her first play, Soho - A Tale of Table Dancers, premiered at
the Edinburgh Festival in 2000, as part of a mini-season of
new work by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based on
Lenkiewicz’s own experiences as a table dancer at the age
Photo ©Catherine Ashmore of 21, the play caused quite a stir, and marked the
beginning of her exploration of the human body and its form in her work. Her second play,
The Night Season, premiered at the National Theatre in 2004, received the Critics' Circle
Most Promising Playwright Award and was nominated for the Charles Wintour Evening
Standard Award and the Susan Smith Blackburn Award. (Costa, 2004)
Her Naked Skin premiered at the National Theatre in 2008, directed by Howard Davies, and
was quite notably the first play by a living female playwright to be staged on the Olivier Stage.
Other plays include The Painter (2011) for Arcola Theatre, The Typist (2010) for Riverside
Studios, The Lioness (2010) for The Tricycle, That Almost Unnameable Lust (2010), Shoreditch
Madonna (2005) and Blue Moon over Poplar (2006) for Soho Theatre, A Soldier's Tale (2006)
for The Old Vic, Invisible Mountains (2006) for National Theatre Education, Faeries (2008)
for The Royal Opera House, Justitia (2006) for Peacock Theatre and adaptations of Ibsen's
An Enemy of the People (2008) for the Arcola and the Manhattan Theatre Club, USA, Ghosts
(2010) for Arcola Theatre and The Turn of the Screw (2013) for Almedia Theatre.
For BBC Radio 4: Fighting For Words (2005), Caravan of Desire (2006), The Man in the Suit
(2010) Sarah and Ken (2010) given Special Commendation for the Tinniswood Award,
Dracula (2012) and The Winter House (2012).
Lenkiewicz has also written the screenplays for Secret Diary of a Call Girl – Season 2 (2010) for
ITV2, The Sea Change (2007) for BBC3, the film Alone in Libya (2012) and has co-written
the screenplay for the film Ida (2013) with director Paweł Pawlikowski. Ida was awarded Best
Film at the London, Warsaw and Gdynia Film Festivals as well as picking up two Golden
Lions at the Gdynia Film Festival, the Ecumenical Jury Award at Warsaw and the
International Critics’ Prize for Special Presentations at Toronto’s International Film Festival.
(Casarollo Marsh Ltd., 2014)
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
7 ABOUT HER NAKED SKIN
Eve: It’s funny to be a part of something. I’ve never been a part of anything before.
Celia: It’s rather wonderful, isn’t it?
- Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Her Naked Skin
Her Naked Skin tells the story of Lady Celia Cain, an upper-class woman involved in a
militant faction of the suffragette movement. The play begins with the martyrdom of Davison
at the Epsom Derby and ends with the outbreak of World War I. The central action is
centered on an upstairs-downstairs love affair between two fictional suffragettes: Celia and a
factory seamstress, Eve Douglas. The play also sheds light on the illegal force-feeding
practices the women in Holloway Prison were subjected to and the response of men to the
women’s suffrage movement.
The play was first performed in 2008, and with it, Rebecca Lenkiewicz became the first living
female playwright to have her original work performed on the Laurence Olivier stage of
London’s National Theatre (Billington, 2008). The play was met with generally positive
reviews, however it left some reviewers confused over the forbidden-love themes of lesbianism
in 1913 and the National Theatre’s misleading marketing campaign that centred on feminism
and the suffrage movement, rather than Celia and Eve’s relationship (Groskop, 2008).
Despite this, Variety’s David Benedict (2008) described it as a play that ‘dramatizes private
lives for an increasingly engrossing exposé of tensions between class and sexuality that still
resonate today.’
Her Naked Skin distils these themes into a series of dichotomies. Man versus woman, privateself versus public-self, suppression verses freedom to name a few. Lenkiewicz explores themes
of gender equality through the perspective of the prevailing class system (Celia’s monetary and
societal dependence on her husband) and institutionalised reinforcements of the patriarchy
(looking at the relationship between the male doctors and subservient female nurses);
forbidden love through Celia and Eve’s romance; the theme of captivity and the long term
effects that prison has on its inmates, highlighted eloquently by Florence:
“Have you visited the zoological gardens, Potter? Do you see what happens to those beasts?
They pace up and down. They eat their own tails and faeces. They lose their fur. They make
noises in their cages that should only be heard in hell. Their only crime was being rare or
beautiful. As is ours, sir. As is ours.” (Lenkiewicz, 2008, p. 11)
These dichotomies highlight the extreme circumstances that occur through any changing
societal regime, placing the characters at morally polar oppositions that they cannot, or will
not, compromise.
The women’s suffrage movement marked the first wave of feminism, and in Her Naked Skin,
Lenkiewicz intertextually references both the works of Henrik Ibsen (A Dolls House, Hedda
Gabler) and George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion); writers who questioned the role of women
during the same time the play is set. She expertly weaves these references into a contemporary
play highlighting the immense social pressures and inequalities that women still face today.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
8 THE DIRECTOR:
PETA DOWNES
Peta Downes is a theatre director, producer and arts educator of over
twenty years experience and the Head of AIM Dramatic Arts.
She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Directing from QUT
(Queensland University of Technology) and is currently completing
her PhD with the University of Sydney’s Performance Studies
Department.
From 1996-8 she was a senior associate artist and performer with Zen
Zen Zo Physical Theatre in Brisbane and in 1999 was invited to
participate in the SITI Company's New York annual physical theatre
intensive, training in directing, composition and playwriting as well as
Viewpoints and Suzuki actor training methods with director and
contemporary theatre legend Anne Bogart and members of the
company.
Photo © Marcus Walters
From 2002-4 she worked as an associate director with the Bell Shakespeare Company,
writing, devising and directing three works for their Actors at Work program, The Power and
the Passion, The Things We Do For Love and The Poisoned Chalice which toured throughout
Australia and Singapore, as well as working as an educator and dramaturge on Bell’s main
stage productions.
She has directed for La Boite Theatre Company and the Queensland Theatre Company and
developed, produced and directed new theatre works with the Brisbane Powerhouse, Metro
Arts! (Brisbane), and the Darlinghurst Theatre (Sydney). Directing credits include: Europe,
Dark Paths, Edward II, Greetings to November, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (postModern
productions), The Button Game (co-production with Playlab/Metro Arts!), Redemption (coproduction with Metro Arts!), Slip of the Tongue (co-production with Brisbane Powerhouse),
Stained (co-production with Darlinghurst Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew (assistant
director) and Leaning Towards Infinity (La Boite Theatre Company); Antigone (assistant
director, Queensland Theatre Company); Capricornia (assistant director), The Saxon Shore,
Antigone, Dust, Dags, The Kid, Small Lives/Big Dreams, The Proposal/The Bear (Queensland
University of Technology); Plenty: Days and Days and Days Like This (University of New
South Wales); Left Behind (Central Queensland University Rockhampton); Rodent, Down the
Hatch (Short and Sweet Festival); The Pretty Girl, The Charmed Life (Short, Sweet and Song
Festival); and The Tempest (Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga).
During this time, she has worked extensively as an actor trainer and arts educator with acting
and theatre studies students from QUT, UNSW, NIDA, CQU (Rockhampton), CSU
(Wagga Wagga), Actors Centre Australia and Actors College of Theatre and Television.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
9 DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Her Naked Skin by Rebecca Lenkiewicz is a play about lost souls as much as it is about
Suffragettes. It is a portrait of women at a point in time before their role in society changed
from that of a possession to one of a political voice and an equal member of society. Celia
Cain, the protagonist, embodies all of the rights and privileges afforded to upper class women
at the time the play is set (1913), but rejects them wholeheartedly in search of something
more that life can offer her. She finds solace and sisterhood in the Suffragette movement; the
characters in this world offer her a chance to escape from the petty rhythms and boredom of a
passionless marriage, and to engage in something much bigger than her.
Thematically, Her Naked Skin deals with the dichotomy of tameness and wildness. Animal
references are interspersed throughout the play, with the beginning action ‘a woman trampled
by horses’ acting as the inciting incident for the play’s ensuing action. This dichotomy is
demonstrated through the genteel nature of Celia and William’s marriage and the savagery of
the women’s actions in breaking windows and being locked up in Holloway Prison; the
actions are unexpected and away from the tame, demure demeanor expected of the female.
Birds and other animals such as wolves, foxes and dogs are interwoven in the mythology of
the text, used as metaphors for the action of the play.
These themes are further extrapolated by the play’s sense of place – inside and outside, private
and public. The incarceration and subsequent torture of the women inside Holloway
demonstrates the capture of the wildness and the taming process – the water torture and
force-feeding, being treated like animals, kept in the dark.
There is the sense of division between men and women, and also amongst men and women
and the shifting perceptions of how things are and ought to be. The play moves quickly
between Parliament, the street, Holloway prison, a psychologist’s office, the characters’ homes,
a forest, a park and a café, all of which underpin the private/public persona of the play’s
characters and action.
There is also a sense of evolving and revolving, with everything circling back to the prison
itself, which is where most of the action of the play takes place. The prison in a metaphoric
sense is more than Holloway. Holloway presents a form of escape for these women from
their everyday lives and a chance to stand for something more than the wife of their husband.
The challenge of Her Naked Skin as a play is in the telling of history itself and the obligation
that we might feel to creatively recreate or interpret fact. As a creative team, we have spent
the past three months exploring this history and immersing ourselves in the actions of these
women and making decisions about the play’s world; a world that is highly physical, violent,
grotesque, and at times gentle, but one of decadence and change that will reverberate
throughout history.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
10 DESIGNER’S NOTES
Costume - Alexis Hammerton, Olivia O’Flynn & Ellie May
Stewart
Taking on the responsibility of dressing all twenty-four actors and
fifty-five characters has allowed us as designers to create costumes
that show wealth and status, as well as symbols that allude to
animals and hunters.
Keeping the tight and constricted silhouette of women in 1913,
we have built upon a foundation of bloomers, blouses, long skirts
and corsets to create a basic suffragette image. The uniqueness of
each character will be found in the small details; for example with
the use of feathers, hats, aprons, jewels and shoes. This process is
similar to the way we have created a basic image for the male
characters, working with the concept of gangs, packs, clubs and
hunting parties. The main difference between the men will be
through the use of fur, as well as deep colours such as reds and
blacks. The higher status men, such as Asquith, will have copious
amounts of fur, whereas William may just have a trim of fur
around his gloves.
Set and Props – Joanne Coleman, Victor Kalka & Mariya Tkachenko
The challenge for the set design team is not to create an accurate replica of 1913 London, but
rather something that will imaginatively evoke the feeling of the time and the world of the
play. Her Naked Skin shifts between the private worlds of the characters, the public world and
the world of the prison, so our goal has been to create a space that can take us to all these
places.
We were inspired by not only images of Holloway Prison, but also cages and cells. This
influenced the textures used in the set, concrete, bricks, wood, and iron, which also conjure up
images of a post industrial revolution world. At times this will be starkly contrasted by flashes
of decadence in the world of the men of the play, particularly the politicians and Celia’s home
life.
One of the key features of the set is a large prison gate, modelled on the original Holloway
Prison, which the audience will walk through when they enter the space. At almost four
metres tall it is quite imposing and serves as a constant reminder that none of the characters
are ever truly free (even when they are not in the prison).
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
11 Sound – Ben Cornford and Ryan Devlin
For this show we have been asked to compose music for the soundtrack, as well as to create a
live sound and musical performance to accompany the recorded aspect of the design. The
compositional element of the design consists of writing our own melodic lines inspired by
music from the time and the events and themes in the play itself. The composition also allows
us to take complete ownership of the sound as it has been written entirely for the performance
of Her Naked Skin. We will be combining recorded and live sound to bring the sonic world of
the play to life. This will include using vocal choral arrangement and instruments. For the
recorded sound we will use samples from music of the era and our own compositions, which
will be recorded using the AIM recording facilities.
Lighting – Dominic Bock
The lighting design is about supporting and enhancing the creative vision of the director and
design teams. One of my primary aims is to create a sense of space and physical context as the
scenes alternate between places. As we shift from the outdoors to apartments, cafes to prison
cells, we want the audience to get a sense of where the action is taking place by creating a
lighting vocabulary. The architecture of the space, in the form of the set and props, will not
only be highlighted by lighting but also lit from various angles to create shadow and light
patterns that add to our recognition of space. Just as there are literal season changes through
the play, so too are there emotional seasons. Lighting provides a means of conveying the
emotional state of the characters by the use of warm and cool lighting, and also helps the
audience in guiding their focus. Subtle uses of colour also create depth and subconsciously
feed our perception of characters, as does the use of shadows.
AV – Lachlan Stafford
The use of AV in this production does not play a major role, nor does it need to. The AV will
be used to provide a sense of space by projecting imagery, such as nature, on three of the
interior walls of the theatre. It will also be used as a form of historical reference, placing
images such as posters that were used in the time around the set, showing how the
suffragettes communicated their cause to others in their society. AV will also be used in more
abstract ways by projecting shadows and refracting texture onto people as well as the
architecture of the space.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
12 HISTORICAL CONTEXT: LONDON, 1913
Her Naked Skin takes place in London, England between June 1912 and April 1915. At this
time, the Edwardian era had just drawn to a close, and with it, a time of peace and prosperity
that saw the British Empire as the empire ‘on which the sun never set’. England was leading
the world in trade, the economy was very healthy and those who were fortunate enough to be
positioned well in the rigid class system enjoyed a time of great luxury. However, during these
years leading into the beginning of World War I, England was a land on the brink of
uncertainty and immense upheaval.
1912, the year before Her Naked Skin is set, saw the maiden voyage of the largest ship afloat at
the time, the HMS Titanic, which never made its destination, sinking five days into its voyage,
killing more than 1,500 people on board. This tragic event reflects England’s complacent
optimism in maintaining its position as the strongest empire in the world, ultimately leading
to its undoing after WWI. 1912 was also the year that the Women’s Social and Political
Union (WSPU) began to become militant in their campaigning for suffrage, with the first
cases of smashing shop windows recorded on 1st March, and concerted firebombing attacks
on pillarboxes on 27th November.
1913 saw an increase in social unrest in the U.K., with major industrial strikes in the Black
Country of England as well as The Dublin Lockout threatening preparations for WWI.
Unrest continued in Ireland with the Third Irish Home Rule Bill rejected by The House of
Lords for the second time in a landslide vote. 1913 was also a significant year for women’s
suffrage. Emily Wilding Davison made history as she stepped onto the track at the Epsom
Derby on June 4, allegedly to adorn the king’s horse with a sash, but being trampled by the
horse, died four days later. A large rally also took place in Hyde Park on June 26 with as many
as 50,000 suffragettes gathering to be heard.
THE SUFFRAGETTE MOVEMENT
Women! Comrades! Dear Fellow-workers! I charge you, love this Movement, work for it, live for it.
Let no thought of your own comfort and happiness hinder you from rendering your whole service.
Give it your thought, your time, your all. It is worth everything you can give!
- Emmeline Pankhurst (qtd. Purvis 1995, p. 110).
A national movement in support of women’s suffrage in the United Kingdom began in 1872.
The movement became widespread with the establishment of the National Society for
Women’s Suffrage and then was furthered with the more influential National Union of
Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). These organisations gained little ground for women’s
suffrage and it wasn’t until Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel established the
Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was far more militant than what had
come before, that the movement really impressed itself on the public consciousness (NUWSS
Manifesto, 1913). From 1905 until the outbreak of WWI in 1914, approximately 1000
women were sent to prison for their involvement in the suffrage cause. Most of these women
were affiliated with the WSPU as well as the less militant Women’s Freedom League (WFL)
(Purvis 1995, pp.103-4).
The outbreak of WWI put a halt to most of the campaigning, forcing the suffragette
movement to become more discreet. But perhaps due to the higher profile of women in the
workforce during World War I, in 1918 the Representation of the People Act 1918 was
passed, giving the vote to women over the age of 30 who met property qualifications. In 1928,
the Act was updated and extended the vote to all women over the age of 21 (ibid. p.123).
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
13 HISTORICAL TIMELINE: 1912-1913
1912
1 Jan
6 Jan
17 Jan
Republic of China proclaimed
New Mexico becomes 47th state of United States of America
British polar explorer Capt. Scott and a team of four become the second
expeditionary group to reach the South Pole.
1 Mar Suffragettes smash shop windows in the West End of London, especially around
Oxford Street.
10 Apr The RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton to New York.
14 Apr The RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg in the northern Atlantic Ocean and sinks with
the loss of 1,517 lives.
8 Oct
The First Balkan War begins: Montenegro declares war against the Ottoman
Empire.
10 Oct The Maternity Allowance Act goes into effect in Australia, but excludes minorities.
27 Nov Concerted Suffragette attacks on pillar-boxes.
1913
15 Jan
30 Jan
10 Feb
26 Feb
3 Mar
12 Mar
2 Apr
9 May
29 May
1 Jun
4 Jun
11 Jun
26 Jun
26 Jul
10 Aug
31 Aug
14 Oct
1 Dec
Unemployment and Maternity benefits introduced in the United Kingdom.
The House of Lords (U.K.) rejects the Third Irish Home Rule Bill for the second
time, by 326 to 69.
News reaches London of the failure of Capt. Scott's 1912 Polar expedition.
The Royal Flying Corps establishes the first operational military airfield for fixedwing aircraft in the U.K. at Montrose in Scotland.
The Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913 takes place in Washington, D.C. led by Inez
Milholland on horseback.
Australia begins building the new federal capital of Canberra.
Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst sentenced to three years of penal servitude.
Major industrial strike in the Black Country of England involving 25,000 workers,
threatening preparations for World War I in naval and steel industries. The workers
demand 23 shillings minimum wage. (Until 11 July).
Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring premieres in Paris; its modernism provokes one of the
most famous classical music riots in history.
The Greek-Serbian Treaty of Alliance is signed, paving the way for the Second
Balkan War.
Emily Wilding Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of the King's horse, Anmer,
at the Epsom Derby. She is trampled and dies four days later, never having regained
consciousness. (Scene 1 of Her Naked Skin).
Women's suffrage is enacted in Norway.
First woman magistrate appointed in the U.K., Miss Emily Dawson.
50,000 women take part in a pilgrimage in Hyde Park, London, organised by the
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies.
Second Balkan War: The Treaty of Bucharest is signed, ending the war. Macedonia
is divided and Northern Epirus is assigned to Albania.
‘Bloody Sunday’ - Dublin Lock-out: The Dublin Metropolitan Police kill one
demonstrator and injure 400 in dispersing a demonstration in Sackville Street.
An explosion at the Universal Colliery, Senghenydd in South Wales kills 439
miners, the worst mining accident in the United Kingdom.
The Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line, reducing
chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours, 40 minutes. Although
Ford is not the first to use an assembly line, his successful adoption of one sparks an
era of mass production.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
14 CURRICULUM LINKS
Attending a performance of Her Naked Skin will be a valuable opportunity for high school
students to examine the historical context of the suffragette movement through the fictional,
dramatic frame of Lady Celia Cain.
By being able to directly communicate with the actors/creatives, students will also have the
opportunity to learn about and discuss elements of production and the process of creating and
producing a theatrical performance, making this an invaluable experience for Drama and
Entertainment Industry students.
All students studying the ‘Belonging’ (Board of Studies, 2007) and ‘Discovery’ (Board of
Studies, 2013a) Areas of Study for HSC English (Standard and Advanced) will also find this
play and the AIM Dramatic Arts production of it valuable texts to consider for use as
additional texts.
HSC Drama (Stage 6) (Board of Studies, 2009a)
Students of HSC Drama will be able to observe the work of AIM Dramatic Arts Stage 5
students as they take on acting and creative roles simultaneously. This is a unique opportunity
to observe this work in action and then ask questions of the AIM Dramatic Arts students in a
Q&A session after the performance. This is particularly useful when considering the audience
observation aspects of the ‘Elements of Production in Performance’ content in the syllabus, as
well as the Critical Analysis (Portfolio of Theatre Criticism) elective for the Individual
Project. Students electing to do other forms for the Individual Project may also find the
experience valuable by observing a final production and then hearing an actor/creative discuss
the process undertaken.
Relevant Outcomes:
P2.1 understands the dynamics of actor-audience relationship.
P2.2 understands the contributions to a production of the playwright, director, dramaturge,
designers, front-of-house staff, technical staff and producers.
P2.6 appreciates the variety of styles, structures and techniques that can be used in making
and shaping a performance.
P3.1 critically appraises and evaluates, both orally and in writing, […] the performances of
others.
H2.4 appreciates the dynamics of drama as a performing art.
H3.2 analyses, synthesizes and organsies knowledge, information and opinion in coherent,
informed oral and written responses.
H3.3 demonstrates understanding of the actor-audience relationship in various dramatic and
theatrical styles and movements.
H3.5 appreciates the role of the audience in various dramatic and theatrical styles and
movements.
Years 7-10 Drama (Stages 4 & 5) (Board of Studies, 2003)
While students are not explicitly required to engage in the processes of production and
creative development in the syllabi for Stages 4 & 5, the content of these courses still contain
a heavy emphasis on appreciating drama, specifically, ‘the meaning and function of drama and
theatre in reflecting the personal, social, cultural, aesthetic and political aspects of the human
experience’.
Additionally, Her Naked Skin is an excellent text for Cross-Curriculum Content sections of
these syllabi. Firstly, ‘Difference and Diversity’, which states that course content should allow
students to, ‘respond to different viewpoints and beliefs in order to develop mature awareness,
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
15 understanding and acceptance of difference and diversity’, and secondly, ‘Gender’, which
invites students to, ‘explore the contribution of significant women in the traditionally maledominated field of drama and theatre and analyse the social construction and portrayal of
gender stereotypes in dramatic and theatrical texts’.
Relevant Outcomes:
4.3.1 identifies and describes elements of drama, dramatic forms, performance styles,
techniques and conventions in drama.
4.3.2 recognizes the function of drama and theatre in reflecting social and cultural aspects of
human experience.
5.3.1 responds to, reflects on and evaluates elements of drama, dramatic forms, performance
styles, dramatic techniques and theatrical conventions.
5.3.2 analyses the contemporary and historical contexts of drama.
Modern History (Stage 6) (Board of Studies, 2009b)
The Preliminary Course for Stage 6 Modern History (typically delivered in Year 11) is
focused quite strongly on the beginning years of the Twentieth Century, particularly 19001914, as they give context to the core study of World War I. Her Naked Skin takes place from
1913 to 1914, and examines in detail the rise of militant tactics in the suffragette movement
at this time, making this text a valuable resource to begin an understanding of the position of
women at this time, as well as an insight into the politics of the era.
Specifically, Her Naked Skin would be an incredibly useful vehicle to begin examining
‘Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragette Movement’, one of the Case Studies (A8)
prescribed as an option for study in Part I of the Preliminary Course Content. This Case
Study requires students to examine:
-­‐ the social and political roles of women in nineteenth-century Britain,
-­‐ the aims and tactics of the Suffragette Movement,
-­‐ the political and social gains of the movement by the end of World War I, and
-­‐ the role of Emmeline Pankhurst.
Additionally, the Core Study (Part III) of the Preliminary Course examines ‘The World at
the Beginning of the Twentieth Century’, in the context of being pre-World War I, which
examines:
-­‐ The nature of European society
-­‐ rich and poor
-­‐ social change
-­‐ Emerging forces and ideas
-­‐ politics of the working class: socialism
-­‐ anarchism
DISCUSSION TOPICS: BEFORE SEEING THE PLAY
•
•
•
•
•
How many women are currently sitting in Australian parliament? Why do you think
there are substantially fewer women in parliament? Do you think this is fair?
Why do you think that, even in 2014, women face more difficulties than men in
obtaining positions of power or responsibility?
What role do men have in supporting women to be equal in today’s society?
What actions do disenfranchised and disempowered people take to have their
voices/opinions heard in today’s society? What about other people who petition for the
rights of others who have no voice?
What situations have you found yourself in where you yourself felt like you had no power?
How did this feel? What did you do to change this, if anything?
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
16 •
Do you think there are substantial differences between people who are rich and poor in
today’s society? Who has power in today’s society, and how do they get it?
DISCUSSION TOPICS: AFTER SEEING THE PLAY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
How did your experience of the production compare to your expectations?
What is dramatic catharsis? How might this play be cathartic for its audience?
What are the issues presented in the play? Are they still relevant today?
William is seen to be quite supportive of the Suffragette movement initially. What
position does he ultimately take?
How is William different from all the other men in the play?
What are the differences between Celia and Eve? Why are they ultimately unable to
maintain a romantic relationship? If they were alive today, would they face the same
adversities?
Discuss the set, costumes, lighting and sound for the production. How do these elements
help to tell the story? What ideas or themes do they suggest that are not in the script?
The scenes in this play are quite episodic and the location of the action shifts very quickly
to different places, from Holloway Prison, to the street, to Hyde Park, to The Ritz, to
Epping Forest, etc. How did the designers overcome this challenge? Is there another way
it might have been done? What would you do?
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
•
In the opening scene of Her Naked Skin, we see a woman put on a sash and her hat, check
her coat and leave. This woman is Emily Wilding Davison. After she leaves we see
historical footage from 1913 of the real Emily as the King’s horse at the Derby tramples
her. Who was Emily Wilding Davison? What had happened to her in her life that lead to
her dying for the cause of the Suffragettes? Did she mean to die? In Her Naked Skin,
Emily doesn’t say anything, but is spoken for by politicians and her fellow suffragettes;
you might like to give her a voice by presenting your research as Emily herself in the form
of a short monologue of what she might have been thinking that morning before the
Derby.
•
H.H. Asquith, John Seely, Augustine Birrell, Edward Grey, Keir Hardie, Robert Cecil
(Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil) and Lord Curzon are characters in Her Naked
Skin that represent real political figures in the United Kingdom in 1913. What were their
positions in government, and what did they do in their terms in office? Specifically, what
did they have to say about the status and rights of women?
•
Holloway Prison still stands today as a prison for women. What would this prison have
been like in 1913? You could present your research as a fictional diary entry from a
woman who was gaoled within the prison, maybe on her first day, seeing the prison for
the first time. Alternatively, you might like to research photographs and descriptions of
the prison, and draw up a design for a realistic Holloway Prison set for Her Naked Skin.
•
Her Naked Skin references significant historical figures, both from before and during the
setting of the play. These include Queen Elizabeth I, Captain Scott and Igor Stravinsky.
Who are these historical figures, and what might they have in common? Consider why
Rebecca Lenkiewicz might have referred to these people in Her Naked Skin.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
17 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES / LINKS
Her Naked Skin
•
The trailer for the original National Theatre production. (2:33)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHhSZPDlME8
•
A review from The Guardian of the original National Theatre production.
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/02/theatre1
•
A critical queer, feminist critique of the play and its original production.
http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2008/09/her_naked_skin
Emily Wilding Davison
•
Secrets of a Suffragette: a documentary for the 100th anniversary of Emily’s death.
(47:17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43dnJ_BAFJ4
•
Shorter, better quality version of the above documentary. (7:15)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G4fJ9I_wQg
London, c.1913
•
The Year was 1912: a collection of music and film footage from 1912. (5:33)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CaieEwEuiw
•
The Year was 1913: a collection of music and film footage from 1913. (4:41)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWZHo9dE7ps
•
Enhanced video footage of Edwardian England, around 1900. (5:34)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQV1_B63LTM
TICKETING AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Tickets and bookings for Her Naked Skin are available now. Tickets are FREE for students
and teachers, and are $15 for general admission. The show runs for approximately 2 hours
including a 20 minute interval.
Please note, this production is rated M for mature audience. It contains simulated violence,
partial nudity, coarse language and adult themes.
For school matinee bookings, please contact AIM Dramatic Arts on (02) 9219 5424. Please
indicate if you would be interested in staying for a Q&A session with the creatives/cast after
the performance.
Individual tickets for Her Naked Skin are also available. To book, simply follow this link:
hernakedskin.eventbrite.com.au
PERFORMANCE DATES
Sat 23 Aug
Sun 24 Aug
Tue 26 Aug
Wed 27 Aug
Wed 27 Aug
8pm
5pm
6.30pm
11am
8pm
Thur 28 Aug
Fri 29 Aug
Fri 29 Aug
Sat 30 Aug
8pm
11am
8pm
8pm
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
18 GETTING TO THE
THEATRE
Pilgrim Theatre
262 Pitt St, Sydney CBD
Housed in a heritage-listed
building, the Pilgrim Theatre is a
performance venue in the heart of
the Sydney Central Business
District, and is the main
performance venue for AIM Dramatic Arts productions. The nearest train station is Town
Hall. Facilities include disabled access.
PARKING: Closest parking bays are in the Queen Victoria Building or the Hilton Hotel.
Other nearby parking available in St. Andrews Car Park and Secure Parking in Pitt Street.
TRAIN: Nearest station is Town Hall Station with a short walk to Pitt St. Museum Station
and St. James are also close by.
BUSES: Run along George & Elizabeth Streets and are a short stroll to Pitt St.
FERRY: Nearest ferry wharf is Darling Harbour (0.7 km).
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
For many students, a visit to the Pilgrim may be their first theatre experience. It may be
helpful to discuss what they can expect or to have other students relay their own experiences
about theatre productions they have seen. Another important point to review is the difference
between live theatre and watching a movie or television.
Visiting the theatre should be an entertaining activity, but it is also one that requires
consideration for fellow audience members as well as the actors on-stage. Unnecessary noise
disturbs everyone. Knowing what is expected of you as a member of the audience can make
the theatre experience more enjoyable for all involved.
Please ensure that you observe the following:
• Arrive on time. Latecomers will only be allowed in at certain intervals. Missing the
start of a performance will diminish your enjoyment and/or understanding of the
piece. It will also disrupt the show for the actors and other audience members, as
audience needs to go through the set to access the seating area.
• Turn off mobile phones and paging devices. The frequencies from the devices disrupt
our sound equipment, and this will also prevent them from ringing or vibrating loudly,
which interrupts the performance.
• Visit the bathroom prior to the commencement of the performance. It is difficult to
leave during the show to use the bathroom and you may not be re-admitted to the
theatre.
• A member of the front of house staff will make an announcement before the show.
Be sure to listen carefully to all information. They will then usher you to your seats.
Please follow their directions.
• During the performance, please observe the following:
o No photography or recording the performance
o No talking
o No eating or drinking
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
19 REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Benedict, D., 2008. Abroad: Her Naked Skin. Variety. 411(12), p.28.
Billington, M., 2008. Her Naked Skin. The Guardian. Available from:
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/02/theatre1. [Accessed 17
August 2014].
Board of Studies, NSW, 2003. Drama Years 7-10 Syllabus. Sydney: Author.
Board of Studies, NSW, 2007. English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Area of Study, Electives
and Texts – Higher School Certificate 2009-2014. Sydney: Author.
Board of Studies, NSW, 2009a. Drama Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: Author.
Board of Studies, NSW, 2009b. Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: Author.
Board of Studies, NSW, 2013a. English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Area of Study, Electives
and Texts – Higher School Certificate 2015-2020. Sydney: Author.
Board of Studies, NSW, 2013b. Society and Culture Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: Author.
Casarotto Marsh Limited, 2014. Rebecca Lenkiewicz Agent Bio. Available from:
http://www.casarotto.co.uk/assets/x/53537.pdf. [Accessed 12 June 2014].
Costa, M., 2004. I went to an underworld. The Guardian. Available from:
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2004/jul/21/theatre2. [Accessed 12 June
2014].
Groskop, V., 2008. Sex and the suffragette. The Guardian. Available from:
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/26/theatre.women. [Accessed
17 June 2014].
Hogonboom, M., 2013. Emily Davison: the suffragette who died for her cause. BBC
History. Available from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/22596311. [Accessed 12 June 2014].
Lenkiewicz, R., 2008. Her Naked Skin. London: Faber & Faber.
National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, n.d. Source 8 – NUWSS. British
Library. Available from:
http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/struggle/suffrage/sources/source8/
nuwss.html. [Accessed 25 June 2014].
Purvis, J., 1995 “The prison experiences of the suffragettes in Edwardian Britain”,
Women's History Review, 4(1), 103-133.
AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014
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