What Glorious Times They Had, or How the Women Won the Vote

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Synopsis:

“The play traces the efforts of the suffragists, led by Nellie McClung and the Political Equality League, to win the vote in pre-World War I Canada. The play combines the themes of politics, prohibition and suffrage, but treats them with liberal amounts of humour, music and vitality. The result makes for a fast-moving, free-wheeling evening’s entertainment.” (From the CPO Website)

Characters:

Sir Rodmond Roblin: the Premier of Manitoba; a portly dignified man in his early sixties

P.T. Fletcher: the parliamentary secretary to Sir Rodmond Roblin

Nellie McClung: a social reformer, novelist and suffragist; an attractive woman in her fifties

Frances Beynon: a journalist and suffragist

Lillian Beynon Thomas: a journalist and suffragist, Frances’ sister

E. Cora Hind: an agriculture expert and journalist, a forceful woman in her early fifties

Mr. Wilson: a rancher form Calgary, Alberta

Gerry: an insurance clerk

Mr. Black: Gerry’s boss

Adelaide Roblin: the wife to Sir Rodmond Roblin

Mr. Ackroyd: a factory owner

Two factory women: Mr. Ackroyd’s employees

C.P. Walker: a theatre magnate

A man: petitioner for male suffrage

A chairwoman

Evelyn: an Eastern woman

Millicent: Evelyn’s sister

Tobias Crawford Norris: leader of the Liberal party, a man in his early fifties

Various Members of the Legislative Assemble – male cast members

Various Members of the Mock Parliament – female cast members

First Produced:

1974, Redlight Theatre

Resources:

What Glorious Times They Had, or How the Women Won the Vote is available through the CPO Website. Also published by Dundurn.

To view more plays like this, click here.

Notes:

Roles can be doubled.

An overview of Nellie McClung and her work can be found on the Canadian Encyclopedia website here.