Sylvia

Discover how Sylvia Pankhurst revolutionised the suffragette movement in Sylvia at the Old Vic.

Although the hip-hop musical focuses on Sylvia Pankhurst, the queen of British soul Beverley Knight plays Sylvia’s mother Emmelline Pankhurst. Knight’s no stranger to originating roles in West End musicals — she recently played Faye Treadwell in The Drifters Girl and earned an Olivier Award nomination. Now, she’ll star in an equally-spirited musical, following women who use their voice to demand change.

It’s 1918. For the first time in history, women in Britain were able to vote. Over a century later, Sylvia sheds new light on the remarkable story of Sylvia Pankhurst and her courageous decisions in campaigning for women’s suffrage.

Sylvia Pankhurst advocated for women’s votes alongside her mother Emmeline and sister Christabel, but later fell out with her family over her dislike of increasing violence used by the Women’s Social and Political Union.

Beverley Knight won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Sylvia also picked up Olivier nominations for Best New Musical, and Best Choreographer (Kate Prince).

Discover how Sylvia Pankhurst changed the lives of working women and men around the world, set to a revelatory dance, hip hop, soul, and funk score.

Be part of the moment.

Beverley Knight will not perform on: Mon 27–Tue 28 Feb, Mon 6–Tue 7 Mar, Mon 13–Tue 14 Mar, All performances from Mon 20–Tue 28 Mar

Access Performances

Captioned: Fri 3 Mar 7:30pm

Audio Described: Thu 9 Mar 7.30pm

BSL Interpreted: Wed 15 March 7.30pm

Relaxed performance: Sat 01 April 2.30pm

When Sylvia premiered at the Old Vic in 2018, the show marked 100 years of women’s suffrage. The musical also supported the Mayor of London’s #BehindEveryGreatCity initiative — a campaign that showcased London's role in gender equality.

At first, Sylvia was commissioned as a dance show. Five years later, Sylvia is now a fully-fledged musical. This contemporary retelling of Sylvia Pankhurst’s story delivers a modern twist on the story of the fight for women’s votes. Listen out for the a cappela chorus speaking words of female solidarity.

What to Watch For:

• Kate Prince directs and choreographs Sylvia. The ZooNation founder’s West End credits include Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Some Like it Hip Hop, and Into the Hoods. Into the Hoods broke boundaries as the first hip-hop show in the West End.
• In the office of Old Vic’s former manager, Lilian Baylis, there was a neon sign that read “Dare, Always Dare.” It’s a rallying cry that echoes throughout Sylvia.