Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse
'And what happens when the pendulum swings too far? We push back.'
In the 1970s, one enigmatic old lady wielded extraordinary influence, fighting against what she believed was the UK's moral decline. Armed with only a typewriter, this seemingly harmless grandmother took on the BBC and the 'godless media' in a culture war that divided the nation.
Inspired by real events, Caroline Bird's wickedly funny play delves into Whitehouse's most explosive battle – her infamous blasphemy trial against Gay News – and explores her formidable resolve to push back the tide. Was she a pearl-clutching prude or 'the most dangerous woman in Britain'?
A fascinating investigation into freedom and censorship, The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse was co-commissioned by Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Pakenham Projects. Premiering at Nottingham Playhouse in 2025, it was directed by Sarah Frankcom and starred Maxine Peake and Samuel Barnett.
Caroline Bird is a poet and playwright, who won The Forward Prize for best poetry collection in 2020, and has been shortlisted for the Costa Prize, the T. S. Eliot Prize, the Ted Hughes Award, and twice for the Dylan Thomas Prize. Her other plays include Red Ellen which toured the UK and was universally acclaimed.