Amelia Brookes
‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World’ will dazzle a lot of young girls. However, it also presents questions surrounding whether women have been accurately portrayed throughout history, and how can women reclaim the narrative today. Amelia Brookes reviews.
Fantastically Great Women, a musical which arrived at the Theatre Royal Nottingham on Tuesday 12th March, launched with a near-full-house, the demographic ranging from young toddlers and Girl Guides to older women in their sixties and seventies, with plenty of men in the audience too. The programme was glossy and comprehensive, with pages describing the women presented in the show and their contributions on a timeline. For young girls who are learning about feminist history for the first time, this programme will be an excellent educational resource as well as an introduction to the show.
The protagonist of the musical, Jade (played by Georgia Grant-Anderson), eases us into the story as a curious, frustrated eleven-year-old girl who has been abandoned by the rest of her class at a history museum. Jade is worried, conflicted, and most importantly, lost in both the museum and her life. She spends the next hour-and-a-half of runtime searching for answers from women whose lives have been memorialised and celebrated for their extraordinary qualities.
The musical carries a strong message: none of these women were invincible, and each faced the roadblocks placed upon them by a sexist society
This musical does an excellent job of conveying the humanity of said famous women, in individual ways rather than as a collective. They are well-known for their accomplishments, yet have felt just as lost or worried as Jade at many points during their lives. The historical erasure and diminution of women’s contributions to male-dominated fields are covered in a way that is easily understandable, yet carries the gravity associated with the topic. The musical carries a strong message: none of these women were invincible, and each faced the roadblocks placed upon them by a sexist society. Jade decides throughout the musical that none of her problems will be instantly and easily solved, and that her creativity, boldness and embracing the things that she loves will grant her the ability to weather life’s challenges.
The choreography was lively and smooth, incorporating aspects of each character in a physical, fun and light-hearted way
One thing that I particularly praise is the set design and choreography. For a musical, these elements greatly delivered. The choreography was lively and smooth, incorporating aspects of each character in a physical, fun and light-hearted way (such as Gertrude Ederle swimming through a sheet of blue cloth). It was easy to tell characters apart through the use of colour-coding, matched by the neon lights of the backdrop, providing extra vibrance to the stage. The costumes were also excellent, providing information about the profession, culture and personality of each character while matching their assigned colour scheme. I have particular praise for the artistic direction surrounding Frida Kahlo’s musical and visual portrayal (spoilers- she presented a beautiful butterfly-like cape!) Nearly every song was a bright way of introducing each character and understanding them right alongside Jade, and sung well, with precision and liveliness. The energy of the performance hardly faltered throughout, making the runtime whizz past.
nearly every woman and girl visiting this musical is going to have their own opinions about it, and that’s where the importance lies
At times, the messages presented throughout were muddied and contradictory (something that even Jade herself commented on) causing me to wonder if this was intentional. Some aspects of the speech heavily appealed to me, some caused me to wonder why they were chosen or relevant. I agreed with many aspects of this play, apart from a few throwaway lines, phrases, or pieces of advice which I wondered at. I think that nearly every woman and girl visiting this musical is going to have their own opinions about it, and that’s where the importance lies. Prompting discussions about the presentation of women in the world and what is accurate and inaccurate is a sure-fire way to develop critical thinking skills – especially if young women and girls can relate to Jade. They may be encouraged to research these fantastically great women themselves.
In conclusion, ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World’ is a show which covers a lot of ground in a vibrant way, illustrating that sometimes what women can and cannot be seen to do is not something to be decided en masse; one woman is not every woman. Jade is presented with a renewed sense of purpose, learning that the way she chooses to live her life does not have to be dictated by the views of others; she can break away from a prescribed or documented view and forge her own path. In essence, Jade has a myriad of possibilities ahead of her, and hope for her future. My own hope is that the young girls who were watching alongside me in the theatre had their own views about the musical, and will find their own inspirations and ‘fantastically great women’ in the future.
Amelia Brookes
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @fantasticallygw via Instagram. No changes were made to these images.
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