10 Clowning Street by Joan S. Dugdale is published in the Metheun Drama Book of Suffrage Plays . It tells the story of an anti-suffragist Prime Minister - who we do not meet immediately because he is taking a relaxing salt bath - and his brilliant plan to stop the suffragettes by introducing a compulsory National Work for Women scheme under which all single women over 21 are to work full-time. Satisfied that these weary women will have no energy left to pester him anymore for the vote, he sends his daughters out to work in typical working women’s roles. Only, his plan does not quite work out the way that he had hoped. His previously anti-suffrage daughters having led a privileged and comfortable life until their work experience, come back with a rather different view, which was not part of the plan - just as the Prime Minister has a visit from a hack in search of a scoop.
This is a really interesting use of humour in the suffrage campaign. In this episode, we discuss the play, the humour within it and its use in the suffrage movement.
We mention an academic study called Jokes for Women which is a PhD thesis on how humour was used by the suffragettes - which is interesting as humour was often used against them as illustrated by some of the art on this page.
We also discuss the interesting life of Joan S. Dugdale 1881-1975 who campaigned for equality throughout her career and was, herself, a suffragette who was arrested and imprisoned for her actions. Hear what the judge thought of her rebellion and of some of the causes that she later went on to support.
We hope you enjoy this episode of She Wrote Too. Please do recommend us to others.
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We look forward to posting our next episode on 1st July.
She Wrote Too.
10 Clowning Street