Theatre / Alma Tavern and Theatre
One woman show tells the astonishing real-life story of Nellie Bly
Those unfamiliar with the story of pioneer investigative journalist Nellie Bly would be hard pressed to believe it.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1864, Elizabeth Jane Cochran – initially nicknamed ‘Pink’ – endured a challenging early life, but she grew up to be utterly sharp, driven, and amongst the foremost journalists in America.
“I’ve always had the feeling that nothing is impossible if one applies a certain amount of energy in the right direction,” she wrote. “If you want to do it, you can do it.”
is needed now More than ever
Bedivere Arts, The Many Lives of Nellie Bly – photo: Savannah Photographic
Writing undercover, Bly wrote exposés calling out sexist newspaper columns, censorship and improper conditions wherever she found them, from the office desk to the asylum.
Her most notorious piece of stunt journalism was to travel the world, alone and armed only with a suitcase, testing out the viability of Jules Verne’s novel Around The World in Eighty Days (in fact, she managed it in 72).
Exploring this unique life, emerging theatre company Bedivere Arts are bringing their hour-long play The Many Lives of Nelly Bly to both Bath and Bristol as part of their spring/summer tour.
Photo: Savannah Photographic
Written by Jack Fairey and directed by Joe Malyan, the production is performed by Laura Hannawin, for whom the appeal of Bly’s story was immediate. “I think she’s really brave,” she says.
“Nellie didn’t take no for an answer, and she would put herself into situations that were really dangerous – maybe she was a bit foolhardy too, I guess. But she did a lot of cool things. I’d like to be like her. I’d like to have that ability to not care – to just go for it.”
Photo: Savannah Photographic
When shaping a life of great depth into a structured narrative, it was a challenge for Fairey deciding what to bring to the fore, and what to leave out. Ultimately, he explains that it was Bly’s writing that needed to occupy the “central dramatic fulcrum” of the play.
“It wasn’t just her bravery and ingenuity to put herself in those positions, it was the way she wrote about them – so full of verve and life and vivacity,” he says.
“As a writer, I was inspired by the way she used words and storytelling to completely change her life.”
The Many Lives of Nellie Bly show poster – photo: Bedivere Arts
The Many Lives of Nelly Bly (recommendation 10+) is at Mission Theatre, Bath, on May 28-30 at 7.30pm – tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk; and then at The Alma Tavern and Theatre on May 31-June 1 at 8pm – tickets are available from www.tickettailor.com.
Main photo: Savannah Photographic
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