Set in 1846, Mary Anning: The Mad Woman of Lyme is the latest production by Dorset’s own As One Theatre Company. It finds Mary Anning close to death reflecting on an extraordinary life that started in childhood gathering fossils from the local beach to supplement her family’s meagre income. By the end of her life Mary is an expert paleontologist - the ultimate dinosaur hunter. But at what cost?
Due to her gender and class there has been precious little money and no public acknowledgement of her work. Now aged 47, and in the final agonies of breast cancer, Mary tries to make sense of it all.
Her greatest finds have been bought by male fossil collectors and presented under their own names. Is she being punished by God? Her studies have proved that the world must be many millions of years old and not just the couple of thousand suggested by the Bible. For a devout Christian this has been a terrifying discovery.
Coping with the devastating effects of laudanum - the tincture of opium used by the Victorians for pain relief - Mary is haunted by hallucinations of friends, enemies and even the creatures she has spent her life hacking out of the rocks near her home.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Fighting Fit At Fifty
As the country braces for a lockdown winter, seize the moment to become the fittest you can be – after all age is just a number
Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Mapperton Again...
Helen Stiles goes behind the scenes at the filming of Rebecca where two historic Dorset manor houses play a starring role as Manderley in this romantic thriller
Painting the Seasons
Nicholas Hely Hutchinson reveals how the changing moods of the Dorset coast and countryside inspire his paintings
THE HEAT IS ON
Weymouth 51 are blazing a trail through the chilli world with their handcrafted fermented sauces that offer layers of complex flavours from mild and fruity to super-hot tongue tinglers
Meeting MR FIX IT
Sir Oliver Letwin stepped down as the MP for West Dorset in 2019, but his passion for the county he served for 22 years is as strong as ever
Wildlife Wanderings
David Bailey shares some of his favourite Dorset images and stories taken from his new book
SOWING THE SEEDS
The average age of a British farmer is 60, which is why the Melplash Agricultural Society is investing in the next generation of Dorset farmers
HAUNTED DORSET
From spectral Roman armies and duelling ghosts to a beneficent black dog, Jerry Bird explores some of the spookier goings on around the county
Decorative art
Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality
Age-old advice
Just become a grandparent for the first time? Perhaps you need a little guidance, so here are some top tips about how to embrace your new family role
