Press Releases
VAULT Festival show tells the true story of the woman who raced Jules Verne’s fictional hero, Phileas Fogg around the world
150 years after the publication of Around the World in 80 Days, Shedlight Stories brings the lesser known true story of one woman and her monkey who race to beat Phileas Fogg’s fictional globetrotting record to VAULT Festival.
The year is 1889 and intrepid journalist Nellie Bly is about to embark on her biggest adventure yet: racing around the world to beat Jules Verne’s famous fictional hero, Phileas Fogg. In a journey that captures the imagination of the world, she traverses continents, faces fierce ocean storms, and even adopts a monkey, but can she make it back to New York in less that 80 days?
Shedlight Stories brings their fast-paced, imaginative and “consistently engaging” (The Scotsman) show that “delighted the audience” at the Edinburgh Fringe (FringeReview) to VAULT Festival to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Around the World in 80 Days, telling the story of the real-life woman (and her monkey) who went on the same globetrotting race.
Using Bly’s own account, writer and performer Kaite Overstall brings to life this incredible, little-known story of a pioneering woman in a performance that is “pitch perfect” (FringeReview). Expect puppetry, audience interaction, and a host of colourful characters to inspire young audiences with the story of this courageous and driven young woman; show them the importance of self-reliance and self-belief in the face of adversity; and prove that adventure stories aren’t just for boys.
Theatre company Shedlight Stories is passionate about bringing to light real stories from history that often get overlooked, especially those accomplishments of women.
Overstall reflects on why Phileas Fogg’s story is so well known and Nellie Bly’s is not: “I suppose it’s hard to compete with an already famous author like Jules Verne, and history does have a tendency to overlook women.”
Nell Thomas, Artistic Director of Shedlight Stories and director of the show, adds: “This year marks 150 years since the publication of the novel Around the World in 80 Days, and you just have to look at how many adaptations of the story there have been in that time to see that there is something about the story that people love. I don’t think they have been given the opportunity to learn that a woman actually attempted this feat in real life. I hope that our show goes a little way towards people recognising that this didn’t just happen in fiction.”
Around the World with Nellie Bly debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2022, where it was one of ThreeWeeks Edinburgh’s ‘Three To Watch: Family Shows’ and a FringeReview ‘Highly recommended’ show.
Around the World with Nellie Bly plays at VAULT Festival, London on Saturday 28th / Sunday 29th January & Saturday 4th / Sunday 5th February at 15:10.
It is suitable for ages 6+.
For more information and tickets please visit the VAULT Festival Website here.