Page of Plymouth, Ben Jonson and Thomas Dekker's lost play

The Page of Plymouth project reaches its finale on Sunday 12th April, 3.45 – 5pm at the Barbican  Theatre in Plymouth. It’s the culmination of workshops, talks and events celebrating and exploring  this lost play, all made possible by the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

Actors and participants from across the project’s various community activities will present, read  and perform. Together, we’ll delve into the Page of Plymouth story, hear from some of the people  we’ve met along the way and share some extraordinary storytelling by people who live, work, study  and create in Plymouth today. 

Full information about the finale here on the Literature Works website  

Page of Plymouth is the oldest piece of known literature set in the city of Plymouth. Written by Ben  Jonson and Thomas Dekker, this play (now lost) was based on a notorious true crime, the murder of  Master Page in Plymouth in 1591. Eulalia Glanvill, a young woman who had been forced into marriage  with an older Plymouth merchant, already had a sweetheart. Together, they plotted to have her  husband killed and were tried and executed for their crime. 

We’ve been exploring the story of the lost play and of sixteenth century life and culture through  ballads, pamphlets and other sources from the time. Writer in residence, Fiona Benson, has led  writing workshops at The Box that helped us reimagine the story, along with storytelling sessions at  the Barbican Theatre and a walking workshop in the Barbican - Plymouth’s Tudor quarter - and the  Elizabethan House.  

Archivist Victoria Northwood has shown us some of the oldest documents in Plymouth. Her archival  workshops revealed what a treasure trove of history people can access in the archives at The Box, in  the heart of the city. Families have tried on Tudor costumes and made story ruffs with BA (Hons)Costume Production students from Arts University Plymouth. 

We’ve learned about Elizabethan theatre through a series of live online talks broadcast by The Rose  Playhouse. The Rose was one of London’s first purpose-built open-air theatres. The site was  unearthed in 1989, and the archaeological remains have been preserved as a scheduled ancient  monument. It is where the play Page of Plymouth was performed. 

Led by Course Leader Marie Dunaway, BA (Hons) Costume Production students from Arts University Plymouth have presented a living tableau of Eulalia Page’s story in costumes they designed and made by hand, with words by the Women Speak Volumes writing group for ‘Super Saturday’ celebrating  International Women’s Day at The Box. 

Page of Plymouth has been told in different ways since the crime first shocked Elizabethan Plymouth,  including ballads and pamphlets. Spoken word and poetry workshops for young writers at the  Barbican Theatre used the sixteenth century ballads as inspiration to see how the story might play  out today. 

Illustrations by Arts University Plymouth and University of Plymouth students will now combine with  writing from the various workshops in a new printed pamphlet. A special handprinted version of the  pamphlet will be printed during workshops by Alan Qualtrough of Kiss & Bite Press. 

Join us for a free seat at the finale of this exciting project on Sunday 12th April, 3.45 – 5pm at the  Barbican Theatre in Plymouth. Book your seats here:

Content Warning: this event includes descriptions of miscarriage, sexual violence, murder and  execution.