Talk by historians Suzannah Lipscomb and Kate Williams about Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, tracing the crisis that led to Mary's execution.
Suzannah Lipscomb and Kate Williams are coming to Nottingham Playhouse on Monday 19 October, for a talk that takes two of the sixteenth century's most famous women and puts them side by side. Both are acclaimed historians, and they're spending the evening on Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I — cousins, rivals, and two women caught in one of the greatest political and personal crises of the era.
They start from the end: the fall of the axe at Fotheringhay Castle. From there, they work backwards to trace the decisions that led Elizabeth to sign her cousin's death warrant. It's a way of unraveling the story in reverse, and along the way they pull back the curtain on the world that surrounded them. They draw on the latest research to open up a landscape of espionage, treason and gender politics, from William Cecil's spy networks to the Babington Plot.
It's not just a history lesson; it's a look at the actual mechanics of the time — the secret letters, the shifting loyalties and the high-stakes game of survival that played out between two women who spent years as each other's obsession. The talk runs for 110 minutes, and it's recommended for ages 12 and over.
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The Playhouse lists it as sold out, but for anyone who does manage a seat, it's at Wellington Circus, NG1 5AF. Tickets were £37.00 to £45.00, with a non-refundable £2.50 booking fee per order. The talk starts at 19:30.
