In 2014, the Huntington Library Quarterly published an essay I had co-written with David Worrall, Emeritus Professor of English at Nottingham Trent, which explored the facts around Hannah Snell. My new show Hannah Snell the Female Soldier 1750, is built on what David and I found out.
I was drawn to Hannah as she and I have solo performance in common. In the 1980's, I used to perform on what was called London's Variety Circuit - mainly pubs which offered entertainment. In the summer of 1750, Hannah, who had returned from fighting and being wounded in India earlier in the year, performed in what might be called a variety show at one of London's summer theatres. The New Wells Spa, near St Pancras, (entry cost was a pint of wine!) was also a sort of pub in that the entry fee was a pint of wine. Hannah and I travelled light. My only prop was a walking stick and hers was an early form of rifle. We didn't need a stage set and could work around anyone else's scenery. We could both wear our costume to a gig for less to carry and more publicity. Depending on the status of other performers, we might top the bill - as Hannah did when she took her act to Bath and Bristol after she had played the New Wells Spa.
The picture here is a coloured version from the frontispiece of that book, which used known tropes about female warriors but created new tropes - plagiarized by Hermann Mann in his book about Deborah Sampson - a female soldier in the American Revolutionary War.
Deborah also went on stage with an account of her life, but that's another story.
You can read more on my «Hannah Snell» page.