Githa Sowerby

Githa Sowerby's Rutherford and Son took the London theatre by storm in 1912. Following its triumphant run, the play toured to New York, was produced throughout England, and was translated and staged in multiple European locations. Yet Sowerby's initial theatrical success would not be repeated, despite her composition of additional plays performed over the following decade, and two more in the 1930s. With historical hindsight, we can see Sowerby's experience as comparable to that of many other women writers who struggled to achieve lasting recognition, especially when their work was perceived as critiquing the political, cultural, and economic forces restricting women's lives. With the acclaimed revival of Rutherford at the National Theatre in 1994, and the efforts by feminist scholars and theatre artists to rediscover the work of such forgotten women writers, Sowerby and her dramas have secured renewed interest. This Broadview edition will provide teachers, students, and artists with important historical contexts for Sowerby's dramas, and will demonstrate the ongoing cogency of these dynamic, insightful, and engaging plays.

No one’s any right to be what father is - never questioned, never answered back... First staged in 1912 and described as "the most powerful play produced in England in this decade," Githa Sowerby's Edwardian classic on family and labour enjoyed huge success in London and New York before disappearing from view. In a Northern industrial town, John Rutherford rules both factory and family with an iron will. But even as the furnaces burn relentlessly at the Glassworks, at home his children begin to turn against him. Sowerby’s astonishing play was inspired by her own experience of growing up in a family-run factory in Gateshead. Writing in 1912, when female voices were seldom heard on British stages, she now claims her place alongside Ibsen and Bernard Shaw with this searing depiction of class, gender and generational warfare. This new edition was published to coincide with the National Theatre's revival in May 2019.

Rutherford & Son was written in 1912 and is Githa Sowerby's most celebrated play. Ahead of it's time, the play challenges the role and expectations of women in the male dominated, industrial North of England. Rutherford is the owner of a glass works, an oppressive patriarch who, blind to his children's hopes, has bullied and undermined them without questioning that one day they will take over the business. This is the story of a family on the brink of collapse.

Lois Relph, a young stepmother with two stepdaughters for whom she cares deeply and her own thriving business, appears contented and in charge. But this is 1924, so does she really have control of her own money, or even her life, and what will she be able to do if things are in danger of going wrong both personally and professionally? It needs courage and determination to define what being a wife, mother and businesswoman means and it is not easy. A story whose resonance is still felt today.

Rutherford and Son is a play written by Githa Sowerby and published in 1912. The play is set in the early 20th century in the North of England and follows the story of John Rutherford, a wealthy and domineering industrialist who runs a successful glass-making business. The play begins with Rutherford's son, John Jr., returning home after a long absence. John Jr. has been away studying and has become disillusioned with his father's business practices and the way he treats his employees. He is also unhappy with the way his father has treated his mother, who has since died. As the play progresses, tensions rise between John Jr. and his father, who is determined to maintain control over his business and his family. Rutherford's daughter, Mary, also becomes involved in the conflict, as she is torn between her loyalty to her father and her desire to live her own life. The play explores themes of family, power, and class, as well as the changing social and economic landscape of early 20th century England. It is a powerful and thought-provoking work that still resonates with audiences today. This Is A New Release Of The Original 1912 Edition. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Staged in theatres by successive generations and proving relevant to contemporary audiences, the plays demonstrate the wit, theatrical skill and innovation of their creators in exploring timeless topics from marriage, morality and money to class conflict, rage and sexual desire. An essential resource for students, playwrights, colleges, universities and libraries, this collection also provides theatres with the opportunity to programme a range of theatrical classics by women. Plays from: 'Paphnutius' by Hroswitha (extract);'The Tragedy of Mariam' by Elizabeth Cary (extract); 'The Rover' by Aphra Behn; 'A Bold Stroke For A Wife' by Susanna Centlivre; 'De Montfort' by Joanna Baillie; 'Rutherford and Son' by Githa Sowerby; 'The Chalk Garden' by Enid Bagnold; 'Top Girls' by Caryl Churchill (extract); 'Stones in his Pockets' by Marie Jones.

First staged in 1912 and described as "the most powerful play produced in England in this decade," Githa Sowerby's Edwardian classic on family and labour enjoyed huge success in London and New York Set in the North Yorkshire home of the oppressive patriarch John Rutherford, Rutherford and Son's portrayal of the father's obsession with glass manufacturing business and his tyranny over the wrecked lives of his family is on a par with the dramas of Ibsen, Gorky and Granville Barker.