After F-Bomb Theatre’s Rachel O’Regan read Sara Sheridan’s Where Are the Women? she set about righting some HERstorical wrongs and came up with Monumental. ‘These women don’t have statues, so we’re going to create a spectacle for them in a way nobody can ignore,’ says O’Regan. Taking the form of a 90-minute walking tour (starting at noon and then 3pm on 10 and 17 May), Edinburgh’s city centre will become the stage, giving five historical women the recognition they deserve.

Hang on though… a walking tour? We’re famous for many things here in Scotland but a guaranteed good-weather day isn’t usually part of the playbill. ‘I’ve always been interested in theatre in non-traditional spaces,’ adds O’Regan. ‘For many, the stereotype of theatre is of a serious “sit down and be quiet” experience. It’s about breaking down this barrier and inviting audiences who perhaps haven’t actively participated in theatre before to do so. Doing it in public also feels radical in a way, and a little rain won’t stop us…’

Directed by Emily Ingram, Monumental (which plays a part in the Edinburgh 900 celebrations) is a collaboration between O’Regan and four other early-career female writers: Hannah Low, Jaïrus Obayomi, Kirin Saeed and Emery Schaffer. Each one has been paired with a figure from the past whose story resonates with their own experiences and complements their writing style. 

The five heroines span several different time periods, so some artistic license has been used, with the writers being encouraged to interpret rather than teach in order to appeal to a modern audience. The women coming to life in a street scene near you are Saint Triduana, a 4th-century holy woman; Clara Marguerite Christian, the first black woman to study at Edinburgh University; Bessie Watson, Scotland’s youngest suffragette; Maggie Dickson, survivor of the hangman’s noose; and Elizabeth Wiskemann, a war correspondent who helped track the Nazi movement. ‘The stories explore womanhood and the fight for gender equality,’ notes O’Regan. ‘But there are also themes of poverty, reproductive rights, racial discrimination and ableism, all of which feel very relevant today.’

Monumental is on at various locations, Edinburgh, Saturday 10 & Saturday 17 May.