Mary Barton (NHB Modern Plays)

Elizabeth Gaskell's panoramic novel of Victorian England, adapted for the stage by the author of Iron. Premiered at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, in 2006. Manchester in the 1840s. By day, Mary Barton works in a dress shop making gowns for the daughters of the newly moneyed mill owners. By night, Mary aspires to join their class. As she strives to better herself, murder, intrigue and romance take over her life and the lives of those she loves. Fast-paced, epic and exciting, Mary Barton presents a panorama of Manchester life from the mill owners' new prosperity to the thousands of ordinary people living and dying in their factories. 'full of heat and passion, Munro's filleted version retains both Gaskell's beady eye for detail and her compassion for all humanity' - Guardian 'powerful... Manchester's dark history in riveting microcosm' - The Times

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor, and are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature.