Sian Evans – författare

This collection of award-winning plays features works from the cutting edge of Central and Eastern European theatre.With a foreword by Gerald Lidstone, Eastern Promise brings together seven women writers who have all experienced living at a time when their countries were part of a larger political entity. For Gabriela Preissova, it was the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for the others, the soviet bloc. Some of the moral and political dilemmas their characters face range from the killing of a child, to the betrayal of a comrade, to reinventing oneself as a way of living in exile.Includes the plays: Belgrade Trilogy, The Tender Mercies, Tulip Doctor, The Chosen Ones, Jenufa (Her Stepdaughter), Nascendo, and, The Umbilical Cord.The PlaysBelgrade Trilogy by Biljana Srbljanovic (Yugoslavia): Set in Sydney, Los Angeles and Prague on New Year’s Eve, the everyday life of young exiles from the Balkans, winner of the Slobodan Selenic Prize.The Tender Mercies by Sladjana Vujovic (Montenegro): Edinburgh Fringe First winner.“...dazzling play upon the savagery of war.” The ScotsmanTulip Doctor by Vera Filo (Hungary): Set against the background of war, life becomes a cartoon, where anything can happen and will.The Chosen Ones by Elena Popova (Belorussia): Winner of the European play competition, described as “poignant portrayal of post-communist society”.Jenufa (Her Stepdaughter) by Gabriela Preissova (Czech): Portrays a secret birth and infanticide, the play aroused controversy when first written in 1890. It was the basis for Janacek's opera Jenufa and is translated into English now for the first time.Nascendo by Alina Nelega (Romania): Set in a Maternity ward on the eve of the revolution patients and staff reflect the divided nature of Romanian society.The Umbilical Cord by Krystyna Kofta (Poland): An intense family relationship, where ritual has replaced real life, interrogates “... A generation suffering moral defeat”.

In December 1936 King Edward VIII made history when he abdicated the British throne. The orthodox story is that he gave up his crown to marry the woman he loved, the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, who the establishment deemed unsuitable to become Queen.But now historian Siân Evans suggests instead that a visit that the King made, in November 1936, to the distressed areas of South Wales was the tipping point that led to the abdication. Edward VIII's public sympathy for the unemployed, many of whom had fought alongside him in the Great War, caused him to overstep his constitutional role by drifting into politics. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was determined that he had to go, and he used the King's clandestine relationship with Mrs Simpson as the means to replace him. 1936: The Year of Three Kings explores the private motivations and public actions of the reluctant new King, month by month, from the death of his father George V, through to his abdication and the accession of his brother George VI. And it addresses the lasting repercussions for the British royal family that continue to this day, including the ultimate dilemma that Edward VIII faced: should desire for personal happiness and fulfilment triumph over the obligations imposed by an accident of birth?

In December 1936 King Edward VIII made history when he abdicated the British throne. The orthodox story is that he gave up his crown to marry the woman he loved, the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, who the establishment deemed unsuitable to become Queen.But now historian Siân Evans suggests instead that a visit that the King made, in November 1936, to the distressed areas of South Wales was the tipping point that led to the abdication. Edward VIII's public sympathy for the unemployed, many of whom had fought alongside him in the Great War, caused him to overstep his constitutional role by drifting into politics. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was determined that he had to go, and he used the King's clandestine relationship with Mrs Simpson as the means to replace him. 1936: The Year of Three Kings explores the private motivations and public actions of the reluctant new King, month by month, from the death of his father George V, through to his abdication and the accession of his brother George VI. And it addresses the lasting repercussions for the British royal family that continue to this day, including the ultimate dilemma that Edward VIII faced: should desire for personal happiness and fulfilment triumph over the obligations imposed by an accident of birth?

'ENORMOUS FUN' GUARDIAN'SO ENTERTAINING' THE TIMES'GOSSIPY, LIGHT AND FUN' TLSQueen Bees looks at the lives of six remarkable women who made careers out of being society hostesses, including Lady Astor, who went on to become the first female MP, and Mrs Greville, who cultivated relationships with Edward VII, as well as Lady Londonderry, Lady Cunard, Laura Corrigan and Lady Colefax. Written with wit, verve and heart, Queen Bees is the story of a form of societal revolution, and the extraordinary women who helped it happen.In the aftermath of the First World War, the previously strict hierarchies of the British class system were weakened. For a number of ambitious, spirited women, this was the chance they needed to slip through the cracks and take their place at the top of society as the great hostesses of the time. In an age when the place of women was uncertain, becoming a hostess was not a chore, but a career choice, and though some of the hostesses' backgrounds were surprisingly humble, their aspirations were anything but. During the inter-war years these extraordinary women ruled over London society from their dining tables and salons - entertaining everyone from the Mosleys to the Mitfords, from millionaires to maharajahs, from film stars to royalty - and their influence can still be felt today.

HOW THE GOLDEN AGE OF TRANSATLANTIC TRAVEL BETWEEN THE WARS TRANSFORMED WOMEN'S LIVES ACROSS ALL CLASSES - A VIVID CROSS SECTION OF LIFE ON-BOARD THE ICONIC OCEAN LINERS FROM BELOW DECKS TO THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE.'In this riveting slice of social history, Siân Evans does a brilliant job of describing the unexpected textures of life at sea...By deep diving into the archives, Siân Evans has discovered a watery in-between world where the usual rules didn't quite apply and a spirited woman could get further than she ever would on dry land. - Mail on SundayMigrants and millionairesses, refugees and aristocrats all looking for a way to improve their lives. After WW1 a world of opportunity was opening up for women ... Before convenient air travel, transatlantic travel was the province of the great ocean liners and never more so than in the glory days of the interwar years. It was an extraordinary undertaking made by many women. Some traveled for leisure, some for work; others to find a new life, marriage, to reinvent themselves or find new opportunities. Their stories have remained largely untold - until now.Maiden Voyages is a fascinating portrait of these women, and their lives on board magnificent ocean liners as they sailed between the old and the new worlds. The ocean liner was a microcosm of contemporary society, divided by class: from the luxury of the upper deck, playground for the rich and famous, to the cramped conditions of steerage or third class travel. These iconic liners were filled with women of all ages, classes and backgrounds: celebrities and refugees, migrants and millionairesses, aristocrats and crew members.Full of incredible gossip, stories and intrigue, Maiden Voyages has a diverse cast of inspiring women - from A-listers like Josephine Baker, a dancer from St Louis who found fame in Paris, Marlene Dietrich and Wallis Simpson, Violet 'the unsinkable' Jessop, a crew member who survived the sinking of the Titanic, and entrepreneur Sibyl Colefax, a pioneering interior designer.Whichever direction they were travelling, whatever hopes they entertained, they were all under the spell of life at sea, a spell which would only break when they went ashore. Maiden Voyages is a compelling and highly entertaining account of life on board: part dream factory, part place of work, independence and escape - always moving.

HOW THE GOLDEN AGE OF TRANSATLANTIC TRAVEL BETWEEN THE WARS TRANSFORMED WOMEN'S LIVES ACROSS ALL CLASSES - A VIVID CROSS SECTION OF LIFE ON-BOARD THE ICONIC OCEAN LINERS FROM BELOW DECKS TO THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE.'In this riveting slice of social history, Siân Evans does a brilliant job of describing the unexpected textures of life at sea...By deep diving into the archives, Siân Evans has discovered a watery in-between world where the usual rules didn't quite apply and a spirited woman could get further than she ever would on dry land. - Mail on SundayMigrants and millionairesses, refugees and aristocrats all looking for a way to improve their lives. After WW1 a world of opportunity was opening up for women ... Before convenient air travel, transatlantic travel was the province of the great ocean liners and never more so than in the glory days of the interwar years. It was an extraordinary undertaking made by many women. Some traveled for leisure, some for work; others to find a new life, marriage, to reinvent themselves or find new opportunities. Their stories have remained largely untold - until now.Maiden Voyages is a fascinating portrait of these women, and their lives on board magnificent ocean liners as they sailed between the old and the new worlds. The ocean liner was a microcosm of contemporary society, divided by class: from the luxury of the upper deck, playground for the rich and famous, to the cramped conditions of steerage or third class travel. These iconic liners were filled with women of all ages, classes and backgrounds: celebrities and refugees, migrants and millionairesses, aristocrats and crew members.Full of incredible gossip, stories and intrigue, Maiden Voyages has a diverse cast of inspiring women - from A-listers like Josephine Baker, a dancer from St Louis who found fame in Paris, Marlene Dietrich and Wallis Simpson, Violet 'the unsinkable' Jessop, a crew member who survived the sinking of the Titanic, and entrepreneur Sibyl Colefax, a pioneering interior designer.Whichever direction they were travelling, whatever hopes they entertained, they were all under the spell of life at sea, a spell which would only break when they went ashore. Maiden Voyages is a compelling and highly entertaining account of life on board: part dream factory, part place of work, independence and escape - always moving.