celebrate the life of sylvia pankhurts

Nominated for three 2023 Olivier Awards - including Best New Musical!

Returning to the stage in autumn 2026! One of the icons of the Suffragette movement and proto-feminist, Sylvia Pankhurst, gets the musical treatment in this piece from Katy Prince and Priya Parmar with music from Josh Cohen and DJ Walde. Starring pop star come stage phenomenon, Beverly Knight who reprises her role as Emmeline Pankhurst alongside Sharon Rose who returns as Sylvia Pankhurst, Sylvia uses an eclectic mix of song, dance, hip-hop, funk, and soul to examine her incredible drive and advocacy for universal suffrage.

An Old Vic, and Zoonation production, Sylvia was first seen at the Old Vic in 2018, where it ran for a limited workshop season. Now back in a full-length production, Sylvia focuses on a pivotal moment in British history, with the Vote for Women movement growing and the country on the verge of the First World War.

In addition to her work in the suffrage movement, Pankhurst was also a prominent anti-fascist and communist who spend the latter part of her life in Ethiopia. Her work in the country led to her receiving a state funeral on her death, and was afforded a burial plot in front of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, the only foreigner afforded the honour.