The Hampton Court Palace is celebrating the lives of fascinating individuals from the Palace’s 500-year history through a selection of dynamic live performances throughout August.
A team of talented writers, directors, and actors have given voice to these remarkable stories, lending their own lived experiences to the people presented. One of the highlights is a compelling performance featuring an imagined dialogue between Sophia Duleep Singh and her godmother, Queen Victoria, where Singh, a fervent advocate for women’s rights, challenges the Queen on the issue of women’s suffrage. This year’s program will also introduce the stories, of Arabella Hunt and Diego the Circumnavigator.
The performance about Sophia Duleep Singh has been written by Satinder Chohan and directed by Trina Haldar. Both the women, along with Suzanne Cooper, Creative Producer at Historic Royal Palaces discussed various details about the project in an interview with Asian Voice.
The process behind script to stage
For Satinder, the opportunity to work on this felt like a representation of her identity. “As a Punjabi Sikh, I've grown up with the stories and mythology of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab, and Duleep Singh, whose riches and kingdom were taken away by the British—a loss that we've felt culturally as a profound grievance. To see Sophia, a Punjabi Sikh woman with such an incredible and fascinating life, was something I deeply identified with”, she said.
Satinder had actually been working on a play proposal about the family, Jindan Kaur, Duleep Singh, and Sophia, so when this opportunity arose, it was a chance to dip her toes into the dramatic waters of their lives. The only challenge for her was whittling it all down to just 15 minutes—the duration of the play. She shared the part of Sophia’s life she chose to focus on, stating, “I had to decide which aspect of her life I wanted to focus on, and for me, it always came back to that iconic photograph of her selling the Suffragette newspaper at Hampton Court Palace.”
She further added, “Using that as a starting point, I decided to bring Queen Victoria into the narrative because I find their relationship truly fascinating. Sophia’s father had a complex relationship with the British establishment and the Royal family, and Queen Victoria was actually Sophia’s godmother. There were so many intriguing contrasts between the two women that I thought it would be compelling to imagine them in the same space, even though the older, suffragette Sophia never met Queen Victoria.
“I wanted to create a space where they could meet and confront their contrasting ideologies and beliefs. The idea of having them contest their views in a 15-minute play was really intriguing to me. I felt I could capture a microcosm of their characters and lives through their imagined relationship, highlighting the tension between their different worldviews within such a short span of time.”
Trina’s focus while directing was focused on, “how we could distill and present her story in a way that resonates with today's audience, especially in the beautiful setting of Hampton Court Palace. We wanted to provide enough background history for those who may not have grown up with this knowledge unless they had a particular interest in researching it themselves.”
“For me, it was crucial to enable the actors to fully embody these characters, to embrace them, and to relive their stories day in and day out at Hampton Court. We also thought carefully about how to position the performance in the palace grounds, where visitors could stumble upon the ghost of Queen Victoria. The staging was designed so that Sophia appears to be preparing for a rally to advocate for women's suffrage, which has even led some audience members to join in the chant, ‘Get women the vote!’", Trina added.
The creative challenges of staging Sophia’s story
Ask the women about the challenges being faced as the performance takes place and the first thing Trina points out is the British weather. She explained this situation, stating, “It might sound cliché, but the British weather has definitely been an interesting challenge. We made the bold decision to perform the play outdoors, which I think was a brilliant move but on particularly hot days, our actors are wearing some wonderful but heavy costumes, so we packed them with ice packs to ensure the actors stayed comfortable.”
Apart from the weather, Trina also shared other challenges she faced. “From a directorial standpoint, the outdoor location presents unique challenges. It's an unconventional and dynamic setting, with many visitors passing through who might not have known about the performance beforehand. Every day, we face the challenge of capturing and holding the audience's attention as they stumble upon the rally. Despite these challenges, we've found brilliant solutions that have allowed us to successfully bring the story to life”, she said.
Satinder, on the other hand, had a different set of challenges as she put the story together. Describing the challenges she faced, she said, ““I realised I probably knew more about Sophia than I did about Queen Victoria, which made it fascinating to dive deeper into Queen Victoria's life and uncover the parallels and contrasts between these two incredibly powerful women. It was like trying to merge and contrast their conflicting ideologies, which was a significant challenge for me.
“Sophia was just a young girl when Queen Victoria took on the responsibility of her guardianship, and by all accounts, Victoria was an exemplary godmother. After all, her godmother was the Queen! However, as Sophia grew into the woman she eventually became, I’m not sure she and Queen Victoria would have necessarily gotten along. Exploring how that relationship might have unfolded, even though it’s a hypothetical scenario, was incredibly interesting yet challenging.
“Maintaining historical accuracy while imagining this scenario was another layer of complexity. Thankfully, Hampton Court provided experts who reviewed the script, ensuring we stayed true to history and didn’t stray too far from the facts. It was a challenge, but an exciting one to explore.”
“Unheard Voices” at Hampton Court Palace
This year, in addition to Sophia, the Palace is also delving into the stories of Diego, the circumnavigator, and Arabella Hunt.
Suzanne shared more about these stories stating, “With Diego, we're exploring the Tudor world of trade, enslavement, and piracy, focusing on his narrative and connection with Francis Drake. We've set up a scene in the Great Hall at Hampton Court, which doubles as the rainforest of Panama, creating an exciting and layered story that touches on themes of enslavement and freedom, giving the audience insight into Diego's life.”
Describing Arabella’s story, she said, “The tale of Arabella Hunt, an incredibly talented singer and performer who played the lute in the royal courts in the late 1600s centres around LGBTQ+ love and marriage, and it's conveyed through a more musical performance, offering a different vibe compared to the stories of Sophia and Diego.
“Each of these performances has something for all ages, making them enjoyable and engaging for everyone who watches.”
