In this free talk, explore the making of The Lost Girls of Highgate Cemetery, a devised theatre production inspired by a lesser-known story within Highgate Cemetery about the lives of ten girls and women buried together in an unmarked grave.
Learn about the historical research behind the production, including what archival records reveal about Highgate Cemetery, the Highgate Penitentiary, and the social conditions faced by women and girls in Victorian London. The talk will explore how these histories were uncovered, interpreted and responsibly brought together to shed light on lives often omitted from traditional historical narratives.
Highgate Cemetery is a place of stories, known as the burial ground of the famous and the infamous, the majority of whom are men. Theatre in the Square were drawn instead to the compelling lives of ten so-called “Fallen Women”, residents of the Highgate Penitentiary, all of whom had their lives tragically cut short by poverty and illness.
The talk brings together Director Danielle Flower, who will reflect on the importance of honouring the names of women often lost to time and how their stories continue to resonate today; Rosie Fiore, Chair of Theatre in the Square, who will discuss the creative process behind writing and performing devised work and its value to the local community; and Richard Kunn, whose research helped provide vital historical context for the production.
Members of the cast will also perform a scene from the play, offering a glimpse into the work itself.
The play was performed to a sell-out audience in September 2025 and will return for a longer run in Summer 2026.
