THE DUCHESS
A play by Nicola Baldwin
Directed by Saskia Marland
DUCHESSE D’ELBEUF: Nicola Sanderson
ELISABETH-HELENE: Harriet Leitch
SYLVIE-LOUISE: Stephanie Houtman
HISTORICAL ADVISER: Professor Colin Jones
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: Dr Simon Macdonald
PRODUCER (ART MUSEUM): Helen Pike
CURATORIAL ADVISER (ART MUSEUM): Dr Andrea Fredericksen
Innocente-Catherine Rougé, elderly Duchess of Elbeuf, witnesses the French Revolution and Terror from a grand house overlooking the guillotine. As other aristocrats are arrested, executed, or flee, the Duchess writes secret letters about her life.
At the height of the Terror in 1793, we enter Hotel d’Elbeuf to hear the indomitable Duchess’ tips for surviving Revolution. Until her servants Elisabeth and Sylvie unleash rebellions of their own.
Originally created as a short performance for Revolutionary Encounters Late, an evening of Revolutionary art & performance for Witnessing Terror exhibition at UCL Art Museum in March, 2o20, postponed due to COVID.
Currently being adapted into a full length, immersive drama for Summer 2021.
A short film of the original performance will be available from November 2020.
About the Duchess d’Elbeuf
The Duchess’ letters were discovered in the Paris police archives by Professor Colin Jones of QMUL. You can find out more about the Duchess D’Elbeuf and Professor Colin Jones and Dr Simon Macdonald’s project to translate her letters on the Revolutionary Duchess website.
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