By Tyler Ody
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, an empowering stage adaptation of
suffragette descendent Kate Pankhurst’s award-winning book, brought to life by an incredible
all-female creative team, is coming to Oxford Playhouse from Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29
May.
Inquisitive heroine Jade breaks away from her class trip to the local museum to take a peek
at the Gallery of Greatness. There she meets a host of amazing women from history, some
widely celebrated, some almost forgotten, from Rosa Parks to Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart
to Marie Curie, Mary Seacole to Frida Kahlo, Jane Austen, and Pankhurst’s own relative
Emmeline.
Audiences can join Jade in meeting these incredible and inspiring women from the past: from
explorers and scientists to artists and secret agents, hearing the stories of some of history’s
independent icons who really did change the world.
The amazing creative team bringing this uplifting stage show to audiences across the UK
includes renowned dramatist Chris Bush (Pericles, National Theatre; Faustus: That Damned
Woman, Headlong), with music by Miranda Cooper (Girls Aloud; Sugababes) and Jennifer
Decilveo (Miley Cyrus; Ben Platt) and live arrangements by Jen Green (Beverley Knight;
Pixie Lott), director Amy Hodge (Mr Gum and The Dancing Bear – The Musical!, National
Theatre), designer Joanna Scotcher (Emilia, Shakespeare’s Globe/Vaudeville Theatre),
choreographer Dannielle Lecointe (Dick Whittington, National Theatre), lighting designer
Zoe Spurr (Emilia, Shakespeare’s Globe/Vaudeville Theatre) and Carolyn Downing
(Summer & Smoke, Almeida/Duke of York’s Theatre) as sound designer.
The new cast members for the Spring 2022 tour are Kirstie Skivington (Everybody’s Talking
About Jamie, Apollo Theatre and The Crucible Sheffield; Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s
Park Open Air Theatre; Bend It Like Beckham, Phoenix Theatre), Kudzai Mangombe
(Malindadzimu, Hampstead Theatre), Elise Zavou (Red Riding Hood, Theatre Royal
Stratford East) and Clarice Julianda (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, UK tour).
Returning to the show after the hugely popular (although devastated by Covid-19) tour are Renée Lamb
(SIX, West End; Be More Chill, The Other Palace and Shaftesbury Theatre; Little Shop of
Horrors, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Christina Modestou (SIX, West End; We Will
Rock You, Dominion Theatre; In The Heights, Southwark Playhouse) and Jade Kennedy
(The Snow Queen, Brighton Open Air Theatre; Billy Elliot, Victoria Palace Theatre).
“Incredibly inspirational, a battle call to women everywhere” – ★ ★ ★ ★ Liverpool Echo
“A pop-fuelled celebration of female empowerment” – Norwich Evening News
“A family-friendly, feel good show that will keep adults and children entertained throughout”
– Southern Daily Echo
Tickets for Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World at Oxford Playhouse start
at £10 and are available from the Box Office on 01865 305 305, or can be booked online at
www.oxfordplayhouse.com