Astell and Woolf

If only you'd arrived at your-God-could-be-a-woman theory three hundred years earlier. You'd still be a best seller. From Shelagh Stephenson, one of the country’s most prominent and acclaimed playwrights, comes this outrageous new play that digs deep into the North East’s radical roots. When pioneering feminist Mary Astell (born in Newcastle) meets Virginia Woolf in the afterlife, the result is a riotous, thought-provoking clash of minds. Packed with big ideas, bigger laughs, and joyful feminist fire, it’s a rare spotlight on Astell – a visionary often left out of the history books. Deep, funny, and unapologetically smart – this is feminism with flair, right back in the North East, where it all began for Astell. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere production at Live Theatre, Newcastle, in May 2026.