She believes intervening with positive messages – via the arts – in the early years will help create more equality for girls. And she knows from her talks with schoolchildren that progress is being made. Her first book, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, was published in 2016 and seemed to capture the zeitgeist. It has sold 150,000 copies and has now been adapted into a musical. The show follows a young girl, Jade, as she discoverers the history of some influential women on a school trip – including aviation pioneeer Amelia Earhart (Photo: Pamela Raith) The show itself follows the story of Jade, who is in year 6 at school, and they take a school trip to the museum. Jade wanders off to a wing that is under development and finds herself looking for an adventure. While she’s in this wing of ‘Fantastically great women throughout history’ the characters reveal themselves to her and tell their stories to Jade and help her find her way. A wildly wonderful and accessible book about women who really changed the world. Discover fascinating facts about some of the most amazing women who changed the world we live in!

The Bloomsbury Children’s Team THE AIM ABOUT THE BOOKS

Learn all about the accomplishments and adventures of many more brilliant women from throughout history with Kate Pankhurst and Fantastically Great Woman Who Made History.Your class will place the words in the context of the subject matter and look at synonyms/meanings for the words chosen. Join our inquisitive heroine Jade as she breaks away from her class to take a peek behind the scenes at the not yet open Gallery of Greatness in the local museum. Along her journey she is surprised to meet the original and incredible Wonder Women: Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Emmeline Pankhurst to name just a few. Pankhurst’s books are now part of a canon that teaches young people about exemplary real women from history and the modern day, alongside Rebel Girls, Little People, Big Dreams, Little Leaders, This Little Trailblazer and countless more. From explorers to artists, scientists to secret agents, hear the stories of some of history’s strongest mothers, sisters and daughters; all independent icons who really did change the world.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World

From explorers to artists, scientists to secret agents, hear the stories of some of history’s strongest mothers, sisters and daughters; all independent icons who really did change the world.

I especially enjoyed the inclusion of Manchester’s own Emmeline Pankhurst – who Kate Pankhurst discovered she is related to whilst writing the book. Kirstie Skivington spoke with a broad Mancunian accent for the role, which was a nice touch. Emmeline (played by Frances Mayli McCann) wears a military-style tasselled outfit and performs a rap on the song “Deeds Not Words”. Sample lyrics include: “Did you hear them call women inferior? Year after year I’m growing wearier. It’s clear we don’t need their manly exteriors/It’s all hot air from their posteriors.”

Suffragette heir pens child’s guide to ‘fantastic women Suffragette heir pens child’s guide to ‘fantastic women

Directed by Amy Hodge, this is a high-voltage show with great charisma. The songs are full of clever wit (lyrics by Bush and Miranda Cooper) and the pop beat gets all our feet tapping (music by Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo), while there is the added headiness of strobe lights (designed by Zoe Spurr), witty choreography (by Danielle Lecointe), and a live three-piece band who sit above the stage in luminous cubicles.

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Pankhurst does a lot of work in schools, sharing her books and having conversations with young children (her books are aimed at ages 5+). “The stories you know about when you’re young plant a few seeds and show you what was and wasn’t possible in the past. It’s one part of the jigsaw that gives you positive messages about what women can do and how people change things.” Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World follows the young heroine, Jade, as she goes on a school trip and discovers the Gallery of Greatness in a closed wing of a museum. Inside, the exhibits come to life and Jade meets some of history’s most impressive women, including Rosa Parks, Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie and, of course, Emmeline Pankhurst. It was only as I got older I started to question what was happening around me. Becoming a mother has also made me notice so much more about inequality.” There are loads of brilliant non-fiction books that can teach your child about the world, as well as being entertaining, funny and gorgeous to look at. Sometimes non-fiction is also a fantastic way to tempt a reluctant reader into sitting down with a book.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World | The Musical

It’s loads of pressure to say you can change the world too, but if they leave the theatre feeling empowered to do something more with their talents, that’s a win,” Pankhurst says. Pankhurst with the cast of Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World (Photo: Glen Jevon)

Women have been responsible for many of the world's most groundbreaking scientific discoveries. These are the stories of incredible female scientists whose hard work and persistence changed our understanding of science, and transformed people's ideas of what women can do. Jade represents everyone that is living now that’s watching now and can speak to them by saying “Follow Your Dreams. If you want to achieve something then go for it”. It’s not like Six where they have like a competition – with this there’s no competitiveness. Your donation will enable us to continue to provide inspiring experiences for all, and play a vital role in the cultural life of Southampton and the region. The girls, afterwards, are pumped up and want to buy glittery brooches with messages from the show such as: “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” Mary is just as inspired. “Why isn’t this in the West End?” she says. I don’t know, I reply, but it really ought to be.