Her Naked Skin

by Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Love is just fear I suppose. Masquerading as a fever. Then you explore each other and suddenly you have licence to become totally pedestrian. And ultimately abusive.Militancy in the Suffragette Movement is at its height. Thousands of women of all classes serve time in Holloway Prison in their fight to gain the vote. Amongst them is Lady Celia Cain who feels trapped by both the policies of the day and the shackles of a frustrating marriage. Inside, she meets a young seamstress, Eve Douglas, and her life spirals into an erotic but dangerous chaos.London 1913. A crucial moment when, with emancipation almost in sight, women refuse to let the establishment stand in their way. Rebecca Lenkiewicz's Her Naked Skin premiered at the National Theatre, London, in July 2008.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre, Feminism, Historical, LGBT

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

Rebecca Lenkiewicz is a British playwright and screenwriter. She is best known as the author of Her Naked Skin, which was the first original play written by a living female playwright to be performed on the Olivier stage of the Royal National Theatre.

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of Rebecca Lenkiewicz as the screenwriter for "Ida' and 'Disobedience', both fine films, so wanted to see what her plays were like. This is her most famous play, and was the first original play written by a living female playwright to be performed on the Olivier stage of the Royal National Theatre. It's an often harrowing account of the struggles women went through in the Suffragette Movement in the UK pre-WWI, and has some deft characterizations and cogent scenes. My only complaint is that with 31 scenes over 90 pages, few are long enough to really build up any steam, and there are several scenes (a forced feeding via nasal tubing, a slitting of wrists), which couldn't be easily staged in any convincing fashion. Also, the initial staging utilized a cast of 30, which would seem to be beyond the scope of most theatre companies.

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

She’s clearly a gifted playwright with a mastery of the craft. Every line feels purposeful. The second half of the play left me wanting, but not sure what would have been a satisfying conclusion.

I got bored of William, he felt whiny and one-note after a few scenes.

(Spoilers under here)

I always find it interesting to read British plays with massive casts - I’m used to regional theatre where there are no more than 9 actors, and even that’s a stretch. Besides the large cast, this would also require a large budget to stage the scenes with a working hose. I imagine staging the attempted suicide and the forced feeding would also be quite difficult.

[Victoria Claringbold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting play centred around the suffragettes. Features a force feeding scene and parliament scenes that display the pervasive mysogony at the time. Some heartbreaking scenes of a husband and wife who are unable to stay together due to her infidelity and commitment to the cause. The suffering that suffragettes went through is explored in detail but there is still humour that keeps the story bubbling along nicely.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and well-written play. Beautiful characterisation. Harrowing scenes. Very gay. Could have gotten more into the working class fight for the vote, but even mentioning it is pretty good for a work to do with the suffrage movement.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. extraordinary, beautiful tragedy; love the characterisation. so glad i finally read this!!

[Rebekah Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mayra Nakamura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving and thoughtful play that brings together the personal and political dilemmas surrounding the suffragettes in pre WWI London.

[Michael Rumney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at the suffragette movement through the eyes of the suffragettes themselves, politicians and prison staff in 1913. In doing so the author and director are able to stage the play in varying locations.
A play I've read several times and would like to see. However with such a large cast it can only be produced with a relatively large budget.
The dialogue is sharp and to the point and I enjoyed the interaction between the upper class suffragette and her husband, showing their conflicts they have with each other and society at the time. It would have been interesting to also show a similar working class situation.
The force feeding scenes could be harrowing for some but it leaves no doubt how gruesome it was.
A play with an important message which uses historical imagery to bookend the start and end of the play, although we don't know what happens to the suffragettes at the end.

[Bonita G Tulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story. The staging must of been amazing! What horrors the women of that political time must have endured....

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

CWs: forced feeding, casual misogyny, attempted suicide, mentions of past rape