Musella is in love with Philisses but early modern conventions of female modesty prevent her from declaring this. In this first extract from her interview, Maggie discusses the difficulties of playing such an idealised figure and her faith in love. The second extract below considers her rudeness to Rustic.

Shakespeare does other things brilliantly but I think Lady Mary Wroth has done something incredible in putting that across which I haven’t seen in texts of that age before.”

Maggie graduated from the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in 2021. Since Love’s Victory, she has played the title role in Henry V, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, and Banquo in Macbeth in the Shakespeare Speakeasy team as part of York International Shakespeare festival. Maggie acts and directs for ‘The Smashed Project GB’, a global educational theatre project about underage drinking and devised her own show Salsa Brava. She was in the Not Too Tame Bootcamp 2024 at Shakespeare North Playhouse
Spotlight: 8418-5640-4979

In this extract from his interview Cal discusses the challenges and pleasures of playing an early modern text written entirely in verse.

And looking into Lady Mary Wroth as a female playwright, gosh, she writes some good female characters and we really thought there was strength and drive in Musella’s actions.”

Cal Chapman is an actor, musician and writer who trained at ArtsEd, where he received a BA (Hons) in Acting for Film & Television. He has since signed with Brood Management and has gone onto work in new writing, classical plays and contemporary work in venues across the UK, including Theatre 503, the Greenwich Theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Currently, Cal is finishing work on his first feature film, The Miner’s Son, which follows a rock band during the 1980’s Miner’s Strike. Previously, Cal starred as Pip in a site specific performance of Dickens’ Great Expectations at The Geffrye Museum alongside ‘The Steam Industry’.
Spotlight: 8419-6726-9271

Matthew has toured extensively across the UK, Ireland, Germany and China in roles such as Oberon (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights), Mr Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol), Mr Rochester (Jane Eyre), Sherlock Holmes (The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes) and Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet). Further credits include Joe (Flowers of the Dead Red Sea), Theseus (Phaedra’s Love), Dan (Closer) and Colin (The Life of Riley).
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Jessica discusses how the role chimes with modern feminist sensibilities.

Jessica graduated in Musical Theatre from Liverpool Theatre School. Her credits include Edie Beale in Grey Gardens, Death in Blood Wedding and The Barge Woman/Ensemble in The Wind in The Willows. She has played Martha in The Secret Garden and Pirate Pew in Treasure Island in an open air tour around the UK and Ireland. Recently, Jessica has been touring a play called Mary Anning: Lost in Time which is about the first female paleontologist. When Jessica isn’t acting, she enjoys writing poetry which advocates for women, trans and non-binary people fighting against a patriarchal society..
Spotlight: 0516-5641-5302

Miles is an actor and writer based in North Yorkshire. He has a largely stage-based performance background, and enjoys working on both Jacobean texts and pieces of new writing, particularly those which focus on Northern stories and experiences. Miles is a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Acting credits include: Martin in Greatest Britain (New Works Playhouse), Horatio in Hamlet and Macbeth in Macbeth (Theatre Space North East), Percussionist in Mother of the Revolution (archipelago arts), and The TRex (Puppeteer) in The Living Fossil Theatre Company (Theatre Illumiere). Writing credits include: The Southern Side of the Wall.
Spotlight: 0538-9058-9403

Emma Rucastle is a Lancaster-based theatre director and creative practitioner. Passionate about inclusive theatre, she has devised and directed a wide variety of professional and community performances in theatres, libraries, churches, parks, streets, squares and castles. She has particular interests in early modern texts, verbatim theatre, audio drama and new writing. Selected directing credits include: Macbeth (Rotherham Shakespeare Festival), A Christmas Carol and Holmes for Christmas (Lancaster Castle), I Have A Speech of Fire (The Rose Company), Right Where We Are (TramShed Inclusive Theatre Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A North Lancashire Passion (ELART Productions). Emma is delighted to be directing her second early modern women’s play – her first being Lady Jane Lumley’s Iphigenia for The Rose Company and is thoroughly enjoying the challenges and delights that Love’s Victory offers a company in rehearsal. www.elartproductions.co.uk @elartpro

Training: London School of Musical Theatre. Theatre credits: ‘Manchester 1, Lead Female’ in In The Room (The Hen and Chickens Theatre, London), ‘Cathy’ in Eclipsed (The Space, London), ‘Lead Vocalist/Dancer in Back To Broadway (UK Tour), ‘Princess Fiona’ in Shrek the Musical (The Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man), ‘Glum Fran’ in Stop The Train (The Gran), ‘Ronette’/Choreographer in Little Shop of Horrors, and ‘Wendla’ in Spring Awakening (Manchester Fringe). Film credits: Out of The Darkness (dir. Zach Weinstein). Recordings include: ‘Seek Bromance’; ‘Jar Of Hearts’ (both AATW record label). Workshops: ‘Mad Wasps and Englishwomen’ (RADA); ‘In the Room’ (RADA Studios). Other credits: ‘Genie’/Dancer (Global Event Services, Disneyland Paris). Choreographer/Dancer/Model (Fashion for Fairtrade and I Heart Vintage Fashion), Choreographer/Vocalist/Dancer (Barnardos).

Adam Perrott is a writer/performer from Manchester. He is the author of three children’s books (Eerie Deirdre Darkly, The Odds and The Odds Strike Back!) and the recipient of the inaugural People’s Book Prize and the Lancashire Fantastic Book Award. Other writing credits include two series of BBC Radio 4’s sketch programme The Show What You Wrote and an original sitcom with CBBC. Television credits include Netflix’s The Irregulars, Everything I Know About Love and Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose. Theatre credits include original play I Remain for the Greater Manchester Fringe 2021, ensemble show Oomph! for Poppa’most Productions, original show BABA for the Greater Manchester Fringe 2022, King Louie in Jungle Book, and Alfred Hitchcock in Hitchcock Blonde for Northern Comedy Theatre. Since Love’s Victory his favourite Shakespeare roles have been Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Touchstone in As You Like It , Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing.
Spotlight: 6299-0165-1066

Kunle Adeniran is an actor based in Leeds and London. He is a medical doctor who later followed his passion and graduated with a diploma from the Yorkshire Academy for Film and Television Acting. Since then he has been in various independent film projects and has been privileged to grace the stage as well.
Spotlight: 8219-4504-7338

Sammi Searle is a theatre practitioner and visual artist who trained at Lancaster University. Theatre credits: Tom, Dick and Harry (Southwold Theatre Co.), Measure for Measure (Lancaster Castle), A Christmas Carol (Dukes Playhouse) As You Like It, Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, The Taming Of The Shrew (Bingo Dragon Theatre Co.)

Molly is a performer/creative from Preston, Lancashire. Earlier this year, Molly played The Sister in Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 2 at Park Theatre, London. Prior to this, she appeared in the music video for It’s Christmas Again (The Show Must Go On!) for Theatre Support Fund+. Pieces of her writing have been performed at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre, The Cockpit, Canal Cafe Theatre, Canada Water Theatre, and the Old Royal Naval College. Molly also choreographs, and recently worked as assistant choreographer on Bright World’s music video ‘So It Goes’. She is currently choreographing and co-producing her second show for London Studio Centre.

Imogen is an actor from Manchester. She trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama specialising in Acting for Stage, Screen & Radio. Her recent stage credits include Wife (Richard Burton Company), The Toll (Dir. Jesse Jones), The Merchant of Venice (RWCMD), Bear Pit (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and This is Your Musical – Improvised! (Bristol Improv Theatre, Wardrobe Theatre). She enjoys classical text and is excited to be performing in such a rare play. Represented by LJP Management. When not performing she is usually surfing in the sea or hiking up a mountain or two!
Spotlight: 1093-6755-6612

Isabella is an actor and model from Nottingham. She performed in Coronation Street (ITV) and prior to this, she played Portia in The Merchant of Venice (The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham), Bonnie/Ensemble in The History of Bonnie and Clyde (The Birmingham Rep Theatre) and the Wife in Blood Wedding (The Crescent Theatre). She has also featured in Artist Saint Raymond’s music video and you may have seen her in the Deliveroo and Doughnut Time commercial as Princess Leia. Isabella is delighted to join the cast in Love’s Victory.

Mary Gerardine Hooton is a Hull born actor who trained at Bretton Hall. She has performed throughout the UK, and Europe, and created her own street theatre and children’s shows. Her credits include: The Island of Animals (Ismaili Centre), A Fist Full Of Love (Proud Productions – Winner of Manchester Forever Award 2011), Mouth Language/Sex/Violence/Other (Magpie Man Productions – Winner of Best Spoken Word at The Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2015), Parents Without Children (Manana Productions, nominated for Best Fringe Production Manchester Theatre Awards 2016), Once A Year On Blackpool Sands (Babydog Films), One Day At A Time (Twelve Steps Productions), Cricket (Austin Brothers Films).
Spotlight: 3416-7868-0492