Prologue
Anne Lister controls the stage. Surrounded by men, she directs every action, setting the scene for complex games of business and love. She is grounded and decisive, clear and proud, even as the men encircle her. She is the one who initiates action, who lives on her own terms.
Act One
While overseeing his coal miners at work, wealthy industrialist Christopher Rawson has an unexpected visitor: Anne Lister. She immediately begins giving orders to the miners, who are confused to see a woman take charge.
Anne continues on, again inserting herself where women are not usually present and certainly not in charge. She interrupts a chattering group of businessmen, led by Rawson, and insists they review her plans for expanding her family’s coal mines. From the moment she extends her hand in greeting, the men are offended by her assertive manner. They close ranks.
Anne strides purposefully into the Yorkshire countryside, heading to Shibden Hall. She bursts into her family’s home where her aunt, uncle, and sister are enjoying afternoon tea. Anne is eager to share her plans with her family; the servants can barely keep up with her boisterous energy. Her sister is irritated to find herself, yet again, cleaning up after Anne. Her aunt and uncle are unsettled, but they love their wild niece unconditionally.
Mariana, Anne’s lover, arrives with a more delicate sensibility. Initially the women conceal their true relationship, but once alone they dive into an intimate embrace. As Mariana leaves, Anne hands her a love letter as memento.
Anne plunges into writing every detail that she cannot share with others. Her passion transforms words into physical form, the Chorus of Words. They embody her inner language: fragmented, coded, relentless.
Out on a walk Anne Lister meets an intriguing woman: heiress Ann Walker. Accompanied as always by her aunt the younger woman is enthralled by the bold, independent Anne.
At her next destination, an office, Rawson and his male confidantes meet Anne Lister with aggression: this is their territory. Rawson snaps, dismissing her and her plans.
The scene shifts to Mariana on the arm of her husband, Charles Lawton. They cut a stiff, awkward silhouette — convention, not affection. But the moment Anne Lister enters, Mariana softens and the two women slip into a quiet, complicitous duet. Charles hovers though, and only quick thinking from Anne keeps the women’s affair from being revealed … or so they think. Charles produces Anne’s letter to his wife. He knows. Distraught, Mariana feels she has no choice but to stay with her husband.
Left behind and betrayed by Mariana’s cowardice, Anne Lister stands disappointed and heartbroken. She again turns to her diaries. Words console her, carrying the heavy weight of a broken heart. Absorbed in grief, Anne doesn’t notice the arrival of a group of men. They tighten around her, threatening her for being too different.
Act Two
Anne Lister composes herself, then seeks out her aunt. At the sight of her niece, beaten and bruised, her aunt is alarmed but also compassionate. In her aunt’s arms, Anne breaks and confides everything. The calm and loving response steadies Anne. Her confidence now restored by her aunt, Anne decides it is time to leave Yorkshire and seek new possibilities in Paris.
Anne dives into a Parisian life of sensual freedom and new knowledge. An elegant waltz becomes an erotic game for her and a crowd of women who clamour for her attention. The mood shifts, and Anne immerses herself in a new field of study: anatomy.
Anne returns to Yorkshire transformed. At Shibden Hall she is radiant, overflowing with stories of travel. The unexpected arrival of Christopher Rawson interrupts the relative harmony. There is urgent business. The coal miners are protesting for better wages. For once, Rawson and Anne Lister agree: workers must be kept in their place. The two shake hands, and Rawson—in a decision he will soon regret—invites Anne to his family’s home.
Rawson’s home is impeccably proper and stiflingly dull. Anne Lister’s vivacious energy practically explodes into the room. She quickly lobs a seductive arrow toward the demure Ann Walker, who is excited by the attention even as she’s unsure of Anne’s intentions. Rawson and his wife try to intervene, but to no avail. Ann Walker is smitten.
The Chorus of Words now come to Ann Walker, guiding her desire, readying her for Anne Lister’s return.
Anne Lister and Ann Walker have a secret rendezvous. The two women embrace; their connection is instant. However, all this is new territory, and Anne Walker is afraid. She is unsure about reciprocating Anne’s advances, which makes the more experienced Anne unsure about continuing her pursuit. But seeing Anne Lister retreat, Ann Walker finds herself still drawn to her.
At Rawson’s home servants are setting up for a ball where society’s gaze will be intense. Anne Lister and Ann Walker arrive together, their bond undeniable. Everyone’s eyes are on them. Mariana is heartbroken at the sight of Anne Lister looking radiant with Ann Walker. Anne is kind but firm with her former lover. She is now with Ann Walker. Mariana chose convention over love. The pain is excruciating for Mariana.
Rawson and his wife are outraged by Ann Walker’s behaviour. Their niece could tarnish the family name. Ann Walker cannot choose a life outside of respectability! The two couples argue, and Anne Lister and Ann Walker flee together. Rawson cannot even comprehend what has just happened.
Anne Lister and Ann Walker seek to affirm their love. In a symbolic wedding, the Chorus of Words floods the stage, witnesses to a ritual unrecognised by society, yet absolute in intent. This is not a public celebration, but a vow made in shadows, sealed in light, stronger than law, louder than judgment.
Epilogue
Anne Lister is strong, sure, and centre stage. We know all she has overcome. Surrounded by the Chorus of Words, she leaves a legacy: queer women have always been here, and they always will be.
Header image from Gentleman Jack rehearsals with dancers Nida Aydinoglu and Julie Nunés. Photo by Emily Nuttall.