Birmingham drama company Women And Theatre’s latest production explores how a donation from one of the city’s lesser-known historical figures has benefitted generations. 
What’s On finds out more from Women And Theatre’s artistic director, Janice Connolly...

Women And Theatre’s new show, Not The Last, tells the story of one of Birmingham’s lesser-known historical figures - Louisa Anne Ryland, the woman who gifted the iconic Cannon Hill Park to the city.

Marking the 150th anniversary of Ryland’s donation of the land to the people of Birmingham, Not The Last delves into the past but also brings us into the present day, to remind us of the importance of preserving our green spaces for future generations.

And Women And Theatre Artistic Director Janice Connolly, who performs in the show alongside Adaya Henry, believes the story is one that more Brummies need to sit up and hear.

“It’s 150 years since Louisa Ryland gifted Cannon Hill Park to the people of Birmingham,” she says. “And actually, not a lot of people know that.  

“She’s not a well-known historical figure; for some reason her name has fallen off the table. I think that’s firstly because she’s a woman, but also because of her personality -  she didn’t want a lot of fuss made about what she did. So while we know all about the Chamberlains, and there are statues of so many of Birmingham’s historical figures, there is no statue to Louisa Ryland.”

Written by Coventry-based Susie Sillett, the show features two members of a fictional historical society who undertake research to discover more about Louisa for a presentation.

“This isn’t the usual way of working for Women And Theatre,” says Janice. ‘We usually base our shows on talking to people and hearing their stories and their experiences. But Susie and I did lots of research.

We went to Sherbourne in Warwickshire, where Louisa Ryland lived, and visited her grave. And there is information online. We found her will, for example. 

“But eventually with this kind of research, you do reach a dead end - and that’s where imagination comes in. So you can think about what it would have been like for a woman of her status and her background, and why was it important to do something like this? There was a lot of philanthropy going on at this time. Louisa was Unitarian, so I think religion and morals mattered at that time, and rich people felt like they wanted to pay back.

“When our lighting designer, Arnim Friess, gave the play a read-through, he said ‘It’s interesting because the millionaires then were wanting to give money to people, and the millionaires now want to go to space.’ When you think about Louisa’s foresight - you only have to visit the park to see how well used it is.”

Not The Last takes Louisa’s gift of a public park to Birmingham and explores not only Cannon Hill but also the importance of urban green spaces in the past, present and future.

“The show looks at women’s relationships to the land, to the past, to legacy. From my point of view, setting it today gives the idea that it’s still a live issue; it’s not historical. She gave the land in perpetuity so it can never go away from being a park; so it’s that ongoing inheritance feel. There’s a lot to say about the relevance now and the impact now.

“A park keeps giving and giving and giving, and it’s about how do we make sure we have these green spaces in our cities? Green areas are so important for us, so one of the things we hope is that people who see the show start thinking about what’s worth protecting. When Louisa gave the park, she said ‘It’s your park now to look after and protect.’ So it’s about how we protect these spaces that we know are good for our wellbeing, and how we make sure they’re not concreted over.

“We’re so lucky in Birmingham to have these beautiful green spaces around every corner, as well as the canal. We mustn’t take them away. So we want to talk about how we play our part in maintaining our legacy.”

Not The Last forms part of Birmingham Heritage Week and has been co-produced with Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), which sits within Cannon Hill Park.

“We’re premiering at MAC because it’s connecting up the arts centre with the park. Art and theatre and performance are as important for our wellbeing as a walk round the park.

“I’m really pleased that the show features new writing, and we have a marvellous creative team. The designs by Imogen Melhuish are really innovative, and Arnim is looking at how he can create a lighting effect which looks like the sky. It’s great to work with these great artists, and it’s really lovely to bring these elements together.”

Speaking of legacy, 2023 marks 40 years since the foundation of Birmingham-based Women And Theatre. It has also been a milestone year because Janice, who is a founder member and has been artistic director for 20 years, and Executive Director Jess Pearson, announced they are stepping down from the company.

Birmingham poet & actor Adaya Henry, who also appeared in the Women And Theatre production Taking Steps, is taking over as artistic director and Katherine Hewitt as executive director.

Janice is optimistic about the company’s next 40 years. “We’re really happy and confident with the new appointments. Into the future, I really hope that at the heart of Women And Theatre remains the idea of inclusivity and really listening to people’s stories about what matters to them. At the same time, I hope that it goes on to develop, to grow and move with the times. I believe in Women And Theatre and will still be involved. It is one of the leading theatre companies in the area and it’s absolutely brilliant.

“I feel it is a good time for me to leave Women And Theatre because we’ve got Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation funding, so it gives people a really good run-in. I know how hard it is to keep a company going, and it feels like the right time to say you’ve got a good start here.”

Janice is hoping that passing on the management of the company will leave her free to act in a variety of roles - including as her comedy alter-ego, Barbara Nice.

“I’m just going freelance. I will continue with Barbara Nice and doing acting. There’s loads of work coming in, and this gives me more time to do that. I’ve just been in Doctors recently, in Man Like Mobeen and in Joe Lycett’s film, Linda. It will also give me more time to spend with my mother and my granddaughter while still working.”

by Diane Parkes