Songwriter and performer Louise Jordan brings her solo production 'Florence: The lesser known life and legacy of Florence Nightingale' to Glossop on Saturday (16 October).
Through song and storytelling Louise puts the myth of ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ under the spotlight and explores Florence Nightingale’s work as a pioneering statistician who used data to call for government accountability, demanding equal healthcare for all.
Louise said: “Florence Nightingale spent less than two years as a nurse during the Crimean War, yet she lived to the age of 90.
“Whilst researching the production I was astounded at the volume and breadth of Florence’s work - she spent decades campaigning for social reform worldwide.
“At a time when women weren’t entitled to vote, Florence used every tool at her disposal to achieve change that impacted people living in poverty around the globe.
“I want this show to bring Florence Nightingale to life as a three-dimensional human and to consider how legends, myths and legacies are created.
“Why are Florence Nightingale’s extraordinary and wide ranging achievements so often overlooked? Who decides how our shared cultural heritage is passed on?”
The performance will be hosted by Glossop Labour Club.
Organiser Jeremy Dale said: “We’ve all heard about ‘The Lady with the lamp’, but I knew nothing about the other aspects of Florence’s work.”
A familiar face on the UK music scene, Louise Jordan has used her classical music background and her 11 years’ experience of touring to arts centres, theatres, folk clubs and festivals in the UK and Europe alongside her earlier career as a secondary school history teacher to produce ‘Florence: the lesser known life and legacy of Florence Nightingale.’
Previous productions include ‘The Hard Way’: The Story of Working Class Suffragette Hannah Mitchell’ and ‘No Petticoats Here: Extraordinary Women of the First World War’.
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