Set against the backdrop of the 1839 Newport Rising, Pianoforte brings to life the story of Mary Frost, a woman at the very heart of one of the most significant and defining uprisings in British democratic history.
While her husband John Frost led thousands of working people demanding the right to vote and fair representation, Mary, like that of many women of the time, was forced into the shadows. Yet, as Pianoforte vividly reveals, Mary’s courage, compassion, and quiet determination were central to the spirit of the Chartist movement. Though history has often focused on the male leaders, women like Mary Frost were the emotional and practical backbone of the movement, organising, supporting, and sustaining the cause in countless unseen ways.
“Mary Frost’s story is one of resilience, justice, and love,” says Adele Cordner, playwright. “She lived through enormous political upheaval and personal sacrifice, and yet history has all but erased her name. This play is our way of restoring her voice and honouring the many women who fuelled change from behind closed doors.
“Amongst other things, Mary had to sell her piano to raise money for John’s defence fund. This inspired us to call the play Pianoforte as a tribute to her quiet strength.”
Director Clare Drewett describes the play as “crackling with wit, tension and authenticity.
“Pianoforte captures Mary’s joys and heartbreaks with emotional depth and historical precision,” says Clare. “The play charts her journey from devoted wife and mother to a quietly radical woman whose belief in fairness and equality mirrored the very ideals of Chartism, a struggle for democracy that remains profoundly relevant today.”
Original music, composed by Helen Woods, underscores moments of hope, grief, and triumph, weaving music and drama together into a deeply moving theatrical experience.
Her Story Theatre Company’s Pianoforte not only celebrates Newport’s proud radical heritage but also reignites conversation about the ongoing struggle for equality and justice.
