She also disagrees with their strategic delay in seeking the vote for working-class women and their reactions to Hugh Franklin's attack on Churchill and Emily Davison's death, which Sylvia sees as merely capitalising on them for press attention and public support.

Keir Hardie resigns his parliamentary seat in protest at the outbreak of World War One and rapidly descends into ill-health, with his wife reluctantly arranging a final meeting between him and Sylvia.

The musical was originally co-commissioned by the Old Vic, Sadler's Wells and 14-18 NOW from Kate Prince and her company ZooNation to mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918 and the end of the First World War.

The work-in-progress 2018 run was mounted by Prince's company ZooNation, with Maria Omakinwa (understudying for Genesis Lynea[3]) as Sylvia, Witney White and Verity Blyth as her sisters Christabel and Adela and Beverley Knight as their mother Emmeline.

The 2023 world premiere production was again directed and choreographed by Kate Prince and stars Beverley Knight, reprising her role as Emmeline Pankhurst, Sharon Rose as the titular character Sylvia and Alex Gaumond as Keir Hardie, founder and first leader of the Labour Party.