LynchPin Theatre’s The Vegan Tigress lands at the Bread and Roses Theatre in Clapham next week, an exploration of the life of little known 19th century feminist fairytale writer Mary de Morgan intertwined with a supernatural twist. We caught up with playwright Claire Parker to find out what led her to tell Mary’s story on stage, and talk all things Victorian Feminism and Magic Realism. Join us for a pixelated pint here in the Binge Fringe Pub.

You can catch The Vegan Tigress at the Bread and Roses Theatre between February 18th and March 1st at 7pm and at a 2pm Matinee on February 22nd (2hrs 10mins w/ interval). Tickets are available through the Venue’s Online Box Office.

Jake: Hi Claire! Your show has a rather evocative and striking title – The Vegan Tigress – tell us a little bit about it and the woman who inspired the play’s name.

Claire: Hello Jake, The Vegan Tigress is a celebration of the life and works of the little known Mary De Morgan and the art of storytelling, all bundled into a play that combines fact and fantasy. The Vegan Tigress is a character in the fairytale that’s woven through the play. If Mary is remembered today, it’s for her fantastical fairytales. She tore up the rule book on expected outcomes for boys, girls and happy ever afters. A cursed woman in the fairytale is turned into a tigress and forbidden to eat flesh or she will remain a tigress forever. This, for me, is also Mary, who I believe was never given the chance to fully embody her power as a woman in the Victorian era.

Jake: The show’s story places Mary in front of a ghost from her past that forces her to re-evaluate her own story. Tell us a little about what the audience can expect and what themes you look to explore in the script.

Claire: It’s magic realism but very much inspired by the fact that Mary’s mother was a spiritualist and held seances, very popular at that time. This seemed the perfect backdrop to the story and Mary’s antagonist is the accidentally-summoned, tight-laced ghost of the mother of a spurned lover years before. The play explores all the themes close to Mary’s heart on activism and feminism but also the nature of narrative and love, loss and legacy.

Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?

Claire: Storytelling is like time travel and takes you on a journey. I would like to think that shining a light on Mary De Morgan and her potent imagination will be interesting and cathartic and fun. The opposing forces of free spirit and conservatism in full battle is never boring and remains relevant today.

Jake: Tell us about your relationship with the cast and crew of the show, and how the show has developed into being performed at the Bread & Roses Theatre.

Claire: We’re a tight knit small professional theatre company and are used to sharing all the on and offstage roles between us. I chose our director because she is a Laban trained Movement Director and perfect to stage the choreography of this crazy piece. We did a one off performance last May in Hampshire and the artistic director of The Bread and Roses Theatre attended and this led to our upcoming 12 performance run with them in Clapham.

Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?

Claire: Though a Bloody Mary springs to mind, actually, the ideal drink would be… absinthe and a cube of sugar, no I’m kidding… A Tequila Slammer or a cup of Lady Grey.

You can catch The Vegan Tigress at the Bread and Roses Theatre between February 18th and March 1st at 7pm and at a 2pm Matinee on February 22nd (2hrs 10mins w/ interval). Tickets are available through the Venue’s Online Box Office.