Intersectionality, Heritage, Nostalgia and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's Emilia

This Element presents a case study of Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, based on the life of the Elizabethan poet, Emilia Bassano, in three different contexts: its premiere at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London 2018; transfer to the Vaudeville Theatre, West End, in 2019; and the online streaming of Emilia during the coronavirus pandemic. Intersectionality is a key consideration explored through Lloyd Malcolm's script, the play's rehearsal process and performance(s). How the feminist politics of Emilia play out in the Globe as a flagship heritage site is a second area of enquiry. The feminist uses of nostalgia constitute a third consideration; these emerge through analysis of Lloyd Malcolm's reimagining of the Elizabethan past and audiences' nostalgic longing for live theatre during the pandemic. Brought together, these three primary matters consolidate and demonstrate Emilia as a landmark study in collectively realised, ensemble feminist theatre making for the contemporary British stage.