Wicked Girls

A new writing production by Emma Williams, performed by final-year BA Acting students, exploring the lives of girls in England’s first reformatory school.

Theatre Royal Bath presents Wicked Girls (Bath Spa Productions), new writing by Emma Williams, performed by final-year BA Acting students in collaboration with BA Theatre, Festival and Event Production students.

It is 1859. The Red House is celebrating its fifth year as a reformatory school for girls. Its mission is to subdue violent passions and offer a path away from evil. But the girls in its care have other ideas.

Seven girls navigate a world of religious instruction, domestic training and strict discipline. As the celebrations approach, the school's carefully ordered world begins to unravel.

Funny as it is tragic, Wicked Girls explores power, denial and the unruly energy of girls who refuse to be tamed.

Created from historical journals, museum records, ledgers, photographs and newspaper cuttings from England's first reformatory school, the play draws on the real names, ages, crimes and punishments of the girls who lived there. Their stories are factual. Their voices are imagined.

Content warnings: Strong language, sexual references, bullying, physical violence, abuse, religious repression and references to mental illness.

Dates & times
Thursday 18 March 2027 – 7.30pm
Friday 19 March 2027 – 7.30pm
Saturday 20 March 2027 – 2.30pm

Age guidance: 16+
Running time: TBC