What do you think?
Rate this book
Lizzie Siddal
A gripping historical drama charting one woman's dazzling trajectory from model to lover to artist, to a tragic figure in her own right.
London, 1849. Lizzie Siddal is plucked from the obscurity of a bonnet shop to model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - an intoxicating group of young painters bent on revolutionising the Victorian art world. Inspired by their passion and ambition, she throws herself headlong into their lives and their art, nearly dying in the creation of Millais' Ophelia . The painting is a triumph. But Lizzie wants more and dares to dream of being an artist herself.
Lizzie Siddal premiered at the Arcola Theatre, London, in November 2013.
"This is drama of the highest order, by turns funny, clever, provocative, infuriating, sad and enlightening." - BroadwayWorld.com
"Jeremy Green's vigorous, entertaining and ultimately haunting play." - Theatre Cat
"Does a great service in putting [this] little known story on stage." - Time Out (London)
"Peppered with laughs... [a] tale of art, idealism and romantic disillusion and disappointment." - The Arts Desk
"Remarkable... makes important arguments about the subservience of women in art." - Londonist
"Fascinating... [tackles] the still-relevant issue of how women's artistic achievements are often overshadowed by men's." - Evening Standard
London, 1849. Lizzie Siddal is plucked from the obscurity of a bonnet shop to model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - an intoxicating group of young painters bent on revolutionising the Victorian art world. Inspired by their passion and ambition, she throws herself headlong into their lives and their art, nearly dying in the creation of Millais' Ophelia . The painting is a triumph. But Lizzie wants more and dares to dream of being an artist herself.
Lizzie Siddal premiered at the Arcola Theatre, London, in November 2013.
"This is drama of the highest order, by turns funny, clever, provocative, infuriating, sad and enlightening." - BroadwayWorld.com
"Jeremy Green's vigorous, entertaining and ultimately haunting play." - Theatre Cat
"Does a great service in putting [this] little known story on stage." - Time Out (London)
"Peppered with laughs... [a] tale of art, idealism and romantic disillusion and disappointment." - The Arts Desk
"Remarkable... makes important arguments about the subservience of women in art." - Londonist
"Fascinating... [tackles] the still-relevant issue of how women's artistic achievements are often overshadowed by men's." - Evening Standard
96 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2014
19 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 29, 2017
I've been fascinated by the story of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood ever since seeing the outstanding BBC series of 'Desperate Romantics'. There, however, all of the various male artists were the central characters, with the women given rather short shrift. Green redresses that situation, focusing his powerful play on the elusive character of Lizzie Siddal, a ravishing redhead who went from being a hat shop assistant to model/muse to artist in her own right - and died a tragic death as a laudanum addict, broken-hearted by her callous treatment by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The play has moments of sprightly humour and real wit, but the later scenes really elevate this to one of high drama. Sadly, it appears to be Green's only play, so far.
July 25, 2019
A perfect subject for a play but in the end not enough of Lizzie herself. Too much of men talking about her.
January 31, 2016
The best fictional impersonation of the figure of Lizzie Siddal I've observed so far.
The ending is heartbreaking, and if the speech appears sometimes as a little conventional, it's probably because it's a play and you cannot see it delivered on stage.
There are plenty of puns though, it's well written and snappy, also quite moving.
I cannot thank Jeremy Green enough for making Rossetti such a complex character, usually authors of fiction or in series he seems like an arrogant prick.
I'm so frustrated I wasn't able to see it at the Arcola Theatre! :)
The ending is heartbreaking, and if the speech appears sometimes as a little conventional, it's probably because it's a play and you cannot see it delivered on stage.
There are plenty of puns though, it's well written and snappy, also quite moving.
I cannot thank Jeremy Green enough for making Rossetti such a complex character, usually authors of fiction or in series he seems like an arrogant prick.
I'm so frustrated I wasn't able to see it at the Arcola Theatre! :)
January 28, 2018
Very well written play. I found it incredibly engaging and seemingly true to who Lizzie, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the others in the PRB circle were. Her life was as fascinating as it was tragic.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews