The five 'forgotten' women who shaped Scotland - including the youngest suffragette

Rachel O’Regan decided to create the walking play after hearing their were more statues of animals than women in Edinburgh,

They were important figures in Scottish history, but their stories are often forgotten due to their gender.

Now the lives of five women who made a major impact on Scotland during their lives are to be told in a theatrical walking tour written by local female playwrights.

Walking play Monumental explores the lives of the women, including Scotland’s youngest suffragette, Bessie Watson, and the first black woman to study at the University of Edinburgh, Clara Marguerite Christian, as well as St Triduana, Maggie Dickson and university lecturer Elizabeth Wiskemann.

Ms Watson became involved in the suffragette movement as a bagpipe player, having taken up the instrument as a young child, ostensibly to protect against tuberculosis.

She and her mother were members of the Women’s Social and Political Union. At the age of nine, Ms Watson was invited to play the pipes in a procession down Princes Street. After the procession, Christabel Pankhurst, sister of Emmeline Pankhurst, awarded Ms Watson a brooch depicting Boudica in her chariot.

Meanwhile, Ms Christian, who was born in the Caribbean country of Dominica, was sent to a convent boarding school in Edinburgh after her mother died when she was 11. She went on to attend Hampton Institute and Oberlin College in the United States, training as a singer. However, in 1915, she returned to Edinburgh to begin her degree in medicine at the request of her father.

Last year, a lecture theatre was named after Ms Watson at the University of Edinburgh’s Holyrood campus.

The play is being performed by feminist theatre initiative, F-Bomb Theatre, known for their Fringe show, The Beatles Were A Boyband, which explored the effects of gender-based violence against women.

Inspired by producer Rachel O’Regan's discovery the city has more statues of animals than of named women, Monumental will see actors portray statues of historical women “coming to life” to tell their stories at significant cultural and historical landmarks along the trail.

It is believed while there are 15 statues of animals in Edinburgh, there are just eight of women. Meanwhile, a total of 79 statues portray notable male figures.

Their stories will be interpreted by five early-career female playwrights based in Edinburgh, including Ms O’Regan, Hannah Low, Jaïrus Obayomi, Kirin Saeed and Emery Schaffer.

The plays have been created by five female writers. | F-Bomb theatre

Ms O’Regan said: “It feels really satisfying to be able to support the work of early-career female playwrights in a time where the arts landscape in Scotland is so shaky.

“We can definitely see ‘Monumental’ returning over the years if we can fund it, with different playwrights and historical figures - and perhaps even bringing it to different cities and regions. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the stories we want to tell.”

Monumental will take place throughout May across Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh 900 celebrations commissioned by the city council.

Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-can basis, allocated to applicants through a raffle. Preference will be given to people who are marginalised and may experience barriers to participation in arts and culture.