Events surrounding the history of a house on Hadley Green which for a few years was the home of the Victorian explorer Dr David Livingstone is the inspiration for a new play to be performed by a High Barnet drama group.

Instead of focusing on his work as a missionary and anti-slavery campaigner, the story line revolves around his wife.

Mary Livingstone, I Presume? is the title of the play which has been written by Claire Fisher who has been living in Livingstone Cottage on Hadley Green for the last 11 years and who is determined to highlight Mrs Livingstone’s life as a missionary and accomplished African linguist.

Very little has been published about the life of Mary Livingstone who was the daughter of missionaries and whose knowledge of African people and languages was crucial to the success of Dr Livingstone’s travels.

Members of the Blue Door Theatre Company have started preparations for the launch of the play next year (see above, from left to right): Lucian Carruthers, Teresa O’Sullivan, Anne Moore, Claire Fisher, Brigid Hekster, and Wendy Solomons.

There will be four performances at the end of February at the Bull Theatre, High Barnet – on Thursday and Friday, 27 and 28 February, at 7.30pm and two performances on Saturday 1 March at 2pm and 7.30pm. For tickets and more information: www.thebulltheatre.com

 Livingstone Cottage is a regular stopping point for guided walks and visitors to Hadley Green and Monken Hadley and since moving in 11 years ago Claire has been busy researching the history of both the house of the Livingstone family.

Claire’s play retells the events of 1913 when High Barnet commemorated the centenary of Dr Livingstone’s birth by unveiling a plaque which records that he lived in the house in the year 1857.

Her production aims to bring to life the Barnet of the early 1900s. The storyline is centred around a grieving widow who lives in Livingstone Cottage and takes an interest in the life of the late Mary Livingstone and who finds herself in conversation with Mary.

“The play explores the lives of women in different times and places who are under valued and underestimated – a feminist look at women’s hidden voices.”

As a Scot, Claire said she always knew a lot about Dr Livingstone and since living in Livingstone Cottage has been surprised how much people south of the border do want to know more about him.

“Every weekend we have people stopping outside the cottage to see the plaque and take photographs.”

She was fascinated by what happened in 1913 when the high and mighty of Barnet decided to put up the plaque to mark the centenary of Dr Livingstone’s birth and record that he lived in the house in 1857.

As Barnet was then outside the London boundaries, it did not qualify under the scheme started in 1866 by the Society of Arts to install blue plaques on the London homes of famous people, hence the local determination to commemorate the link with Dr Livingstone.

Her play tries to recreate the atmosphere of Barnet in 1913 – with lots of references to the High Street, Hadley Green and Monken Hadley.

Cast members take on the role of residents in the town including a butcher’s daughter, schoolboy, and other local characters.

Claire says she is indebted to the advice and support of Susi Earnshaw at the Bull Theatre and artistic director Siobhan Dunne.

Blue Door Theatre has joined forces with Barnet Museum in the production of Mary Livingstone, I presume?

Other recent productions include The Boy I Love set in the 1880s in High Barnet around the arrival of the annual Barnet Fair and Fog of War, written by local playwright James Godwin and set in 1471 in the heart of the Battle of Barnet.