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Copyright

Mark O’Brien; John Cresswell;

Published On

2025-06-27

Page Range

pp. 13–90

Language

  • English

Print Length

78 pages

When Katherine Brewed – a Play

  • Mark O'Brien (contributions by)
  • John Cresswell (author)
Chapter of: When Katherine Brewed, a Play: Telling the Story of the Peasants’ Revolt and Today’s New Radical Theatre(pp. 13–90)
When Katherine Brewed features two groups: the royal group around the boy King Richard II; and a group of rebels caught up in the tumult of the Rising. As news of the rising reaches the king and his advisors panic descends upon them as the realise the precariousness of their situation. Without an army to defend them and holed up in the Tower of London, they go into meltdown as the seriousness of what is happening sinks in. In the meantime, four rebels come together to take part in the great march to London. The central character is Katherine, a brewer (brewing being one of the few trades open to a woman at this time). The other characters are an ex-archer and experienced soldier, a recently released ex-convict, and a village girl called Elizabeth.

The rebel characters grow in confidence as they understand more and more the true purpose of the rising. Discussing the events, laughing and joking in amazement at what they are about, they enact the experience of the movement by turns with humour and seriousness. As the events unfold, we see Wat Tyler negotiating with the King, and the moment of apparent triumph. But we also learn of the trickery of the King’s advisers and the terrible betrayal that leads to the defeat of our four rebels and the movement that all-too-briefly changed their lives.

Throughout the action of the play, The Fool has guided the audience’s attention and provided a knowing, wry and humorous commentary on characters and turning points in the story. Towards the conclusion of the play, The Fool is revealed as John Ball himself, the spiritual inspiration of the rising.

Contributors

Mark O'Brien

(contributions by)

Mark is a social researcher and socialist trade union activist based in Liverpool UK. He has authored historical publications covering labour and social movements. His books include Perish the Privileged Orders, a Socialist History of the Chartist Movement, When Adam Delved and Eve Span: A History of the Peasants' Revolt, and Just Managing? What it Means for the Families of Austerity Britain. With John Cresswell he was the recipient of an award from the US based International Herbert Marcuse Society in 2023 for his work in political theatre ... "... at the intersection of the arts and Marcuse's Great Refusal, as a consciousness-raising and labor education theater project in support of labor/community solidarity amidst the current wave of nationwide strikes by students and professors at universities and by workers in other industries across Britain." Presently Mark is working on a book about Marxism and the mind, called The Historical Mind (working title).

John Cresswell

(author)

BA Drama and Theatre Studies (Kent University), Post Graduate Certificate of Education (Jordanhill College, Glasgow) and Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Theatre (Central School of Speech and Drama, London). Devisor, performer and writer for Out of Order theatre company touring English Language theatre in East Germany. Actor/teacher with theatreactive educational theatre company - devising, performing and facilitating interactive programmes also devisor/writer/director of touring primary school educational plays. In collaboration with Burnt Mill Arts Academy, its feeder primaries and other community arts groups - devisor, writer and director of several large-scale community plays. He has written four young adult novels and in collaboration with Mark O’Brien, devised, scripted and directed When Katherine Brewed.