Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale
Audition
Wednesday 22nd October 730pm
Run Dates June 13th-20th 2026
Directed by Sue Borg
Love or knowledge which would you choose?
A moving, comical and eye-opening story of four young women fighting for education and self-determination against the larger backdrop of women’s suffrage.
1896. Girton College, Cambridge, the first college in Britain to admit women. The Girton girls study ferociously and match their male peers grade for grade. Yet, when the men graduate, the women leave with nothing but the stigma of being a ‘blue stocking’ – an unnatural, educated woman. They are denied degrees and go home unqualified and unmarriageable.
In Jessica Swale’s debut play, Blue Stockings, Tess Moffat and her fellow first years are determined to win the right to graduate. But little do they anticipate the hurdles in their way: the distractions of love, the cruelty of the class divide or the strength of the opposition, who will do anything to stop them. The play follows them over one tumultuous academic year, in their fight to change the future of education.
Blue Stockings is a large cast with parts for many ages of actors
- 8-10 female parts
- 9-14 male parts
Standard British accent required please
THE GIRTON GIRLS (20-30 years old)
TESS MOFFAT , a curious girl
CELIA WILLBOND, a fragile hardworker
CAROLYN ADDISON, an early bohemian
MAEVE SULLIVAN , a mystery
THE BOYS (20-30 years old)
RALPH MAYHEW, a student at Trinity
LLOYD, a student at Trinity
HOLME, a student at Trinity
EDWARDS, a student at Trinity
WILL BENNETT, a student at Kings: Tess's friend
THE STAFF
ELIZABEYTH WELSH , Mistress of Girton College 40s
DR MAUDSLEY, renowned psychiatrists 60s
MR BANKS, Lecturer at Girton & Trinity 40s-50s
MISS BLAKE, Lecturer at Girton 40s-50s
PROFESSOR COLLINS , Lecturer at Trinity 40s-50s
PROFESSOR ANDERSON, Lecturer at Trinity 40s-50s
PROFESSOR RADLEIGH, Board member at Trinity 50s
MINNIE, the housemaid, 30s
MR PECK, the gardener & maintenance man30-40s
MISS BOTT, a chaperone, 30-40s
THE OTHERS
BILLY SULLIVAN, Maeve's brother 30s
MRS LINDSEY , shopkeeper 30s
also ensemble parts as LIBRARIAN, MALE STUDENTS, LADY 7 HER HUSBAND
The auditions will be in the form of an informal read through. You don't need to be a member of Saddleworth Players - but we'll happily sign you up! Membership is free).
Contact Sue Borg at saddleworthplayers@millgateartscentre.co.uk for more information.
Feel free to shall this information with anyone who you think will be interested.
Playing dates 13-20th June 2026 with rehearsals starting in April on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays usually from 730pm, 7pm on Sunday