Women & Theatre

The Saving of Moseley Road Baths or The importance of willful individuals. 

Come celebrate the saving of Moseley Road Baths, with an accessible and entertaining podcast about our theatre production earlier this year. As the Baths begins a redevelopment programme to repair, restore and transform, Women & Theatre tells the story of how these beloved Edwardian swimming baths were saved. 

Performed by a community cast, this was a fun, imaginative and engaging celebratory piece of theatre exploring how a group of willful individuals united and rescued this civic space. 

Cast of Moseley Road Baths Podcast  
David Bolstridge, Martin Brewster, Poppy Chanda, Roxanne Green, Trevor Harrison, Joe Holyoak, Letisha Malcolm, Ruth Miller, Colin Nimmo, Tara Sullivan, Marian Williams, Lynette Julie Wood
 
Creative Team 

Written by Janice Connolly 

Directed by Adaya Henry & Emily Butler 

Support Artist: Todd Jennings 

Music created for this performance by David Bolstridge

Additional music by Aayushi Jain & Tyriq Baker

Recorded by Paul Hadsley for Birmingham Podcast Studios. 

The project was funded by Moseley Road Baths and Arts Council England. 

This is our Revival series, which celebrates our 40th anniversary, by presenting play readings of key productions from our archive. 

Putting It About which was made in 1987 by Women & Theatre in response to the HIV AIDS pandemic. Followed by a discussion with Janice Connolly and Rachel Greaves from Birmingham HIV AIDS Memorial and Positive Peers. 

Putting It About was performed by Alison Carney as Anne, Ashleigh Aston as Lizzie, Julie Baker as Margaret and Jacoba Willams as Dion. It was directed by Jo Gleave. The Women & Theatre podcast theme was by Sam Frankie Fox. 

Putting It About was originally devised by Janice Connolly, Jo Broadwood, Polly Wright, Norma Smith and Sheryl Crown. The original designer was Jane Joyce.

This is a free podcast from Women & Theatre, funded by Arts Council England. 

This is our Revival series, which celebrates our 40th anniversary, by presenting play readings of key productions from our archive. 

Putting It About which was made in 1987 by Women & Theatre in response to the HIV AIDS pandemic. Followed by a discussion with Janice Connolly and Rachel Greaves from Birmingham HIV AIDS Memorial and Positive Peers. 

Putting It About was performed by Alison Carney as Anne, Ashleigh Aston as Lizzie, Julie Baker as Margaret and Jacoba Willams as Dion. It was directed by Jo Gleave. The Women & Theatre podcast theme was by Sam Frankie Fox. 

Putting It About was originally devised by Janice Connolly, Jo Broadwood, Polly Wright, Norma Smith and Sheryl Crown. The original designer was Jane Joyce.

This is a free podcast from Women & Theatre, funded by Arts Council England. 

This is our Revival series, which celebrates our 40th anniversary, by presenting play readings of key productions from our archive. 

You’re about to listen to The Bad One, which was first produced in 2004. The performance is followed by a discussion with the cast of 2023 Revival production. 

The Bad One was performed by Adaya Henry as Jackie, Janice Connolly as grandmother, Jacoba Williams as Heidi and Laurence Saunders as Laurence. It was written by Janice Connolly and directed by Jo Gleave.  Women & Theatre podcast theme was by Sam Frankie Fox.

The original production of The Bad One was directed by Terina Talbot, and performed by Alison Carney, Gary Turner, Janice Connolly and Jill Norman.

This is a free podcast from Women & Theatre, funded by Arts Council England. 

This is our Revival series, which celebrates our 40th anniversary, by presenting play readings of key productions from our archive. 

You’re about to listen to Touch Wood which was created by Women & Theatre to promote Breast Health awareness.

Touch Wood was performed by Alison Belbin as Sheila, and Adaya Henry Brenda, Noreen, Pauline, Hairdresser and the Wonderbra woman. It was directed by Jo Gleave. Women & Theatre podcast theme was by Sam Frankie Fox. 

Touch Wood was originally researched and devised by Janice Connolly & Alison Carney and directed by Theresa Heskins. 

This is a free podcast from Women & Theatre, funded by Arts Council England. 

This is our Revival series, which celebrates our 40th anniversary, by presenting play readings of key productions from our archive. 

You’re about to listen to Christine goes to the Doctor which was created in the 90s.

Christine goes to the Doctor was performed by Jacoba Williams as Christine and Alison Carney as the Doctor. Directed by Jo Gleave. It was originally devised by Janice Connolly and Polly Wright. The Women & Theatre podcast theme was by Sam Frankie Fox.

This is a free podcast from Women & Theatre, funded by Arts Council England. 

In 2023 Women & Theatre ran our first ever Creative Mentorship Scheme for care experienced young people. We worked with a small group to develop theatre making skills, and build connections with Birmingham’s creative community. 

Over several months, our mentees created Poems, Songs and short plays. I’m very pleased to share with you now, 3 pieces of work created by 3 of the group. They are: 

Lele with her short play, How to be Successful at Being Unsuccessful. 

Chelsea with her poem Letting Go is Never Easy.
Michael with his song Child of the System.

After each performance the young people share their experience of making the work with Janice Connolly. 

Into the Water is a celebration of the role of water in women’s lives; presenting diverse stories of memory & nature, swimming & play, and birth & renewal.

Developed from research, Into The Water was originally created as a site specific community production at Moseley Road Baths in 2019. Audiences sat poolside listening to this audio through headsets while watching a community cast of local women, perform in and around the pool.

Into the Water was performed by Sally Andrews, Jo Bennett, Holly Clark, Janice Connolly, Emma Fall, Albertha Gittens, Liz Greaves, Mohini Howard, Birgit Kehrer, Janet Moir, Emma O’Brien, Ismat Ramji, Jaci Smith, Stacey Spencer, Jane Thakoordin, Lucy Trevis, Hyacinth Wright & Natalia Budzan.

Into the Water was written from research by Janice Connolly, Jo Gleave & Ashlee E L Roberts, with additional material by Ismat Ramji. It was directed by Jo Gleave, Composition & Sound Design by Sam Frankie Fox with additional instrumentation from Ricardo Santos Rocha. Mixed & mastered by Fox & Rocha. 

Into the Water was a Women & Theatre project delivered in partnership with Moseley Road Baths. It was funded by Arts Council England, Birmingham City Council, The Roughley Trust and The Grimmitt Trust. 

Welcome to the Our Park, Our Lives Podcast Episode 1. This project is part of a season of work celebrating 150 years since Lousia Anne Ryland gifted the land of Cannon Hill Park, to the people of Birmingham. 

Working with local women to research with other park users - locals, day trippers, daily dog walkers, skaters, and picnickers - to reflect on what Cannon Hill Park means to them and the people of Birmingham - the beneficiaries of Louisa’s gift.

Our Park Our Lives was performed by Elaine Williams, Renia Ganguly, Mohua Banerjee, Jane Thaakordin, Maggie Parsons, Carol Dixon, Mohini Howard, Robyn Tighe, Ann Glover, Carole Cummins, Tessa Lowe, Chelsea Fowels & Vimla Dodd. 

The creative team were Janice Connolly, Vicky Pritchard, Sam Frankie Fox & Kate Green 

Women & Theatre’s Cannon Hill Park projects have been commissioned by Midlands Arts Centre and supported by Arts Council England, The Feeney Trust, Sir Barry Jackson Trust, The Owen Family Trust, & The Grimmitt Trust. 

Welcome to the Our Park, Our Lives Podcast Episode 3. This project is part of a season of work celebrating 150 years since Lousia Anne Ryland gifted the land of Cannon Hill Park, to the people of Birmingham. 

Working with local women to research with other park users - locals, day trippers, daily dog walkers, skaters, and picnickers - to reflect on what Cannon Hill Park means to them and the people of Birmingham - the beneficiaries of Louisa’s gift.

Our Park Our Lives was performed by Elaine Williams, Renia Ganguly, Mohua Banerjee, Jane Thaakordin, Maggie Parsons, Carol Dixon, Mohini Howard, Robyn Tighe, Ann Glover, Carole Cummins, Tessa Lowe, Chelsea Fowels & Vimla Dodd. 

The creative team were Janice Connolly, Vicky Pritchard, Sam Frankie Fox & Kate Green 

Women & Theatre’s Cannon Hill Park projects have been commissioned by Midlands Arts Centre and supported by Arts Council England, The Feeney Trust, Sir Barry Jackson Trust, The Owen Family Trust, & The Grimmitt Trust.