Diaries, Drama, and Abolition: The Remarkable Life of Miss Plymley hits the stage
While the world celebrates the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, a quiet corner of Shropshire is shining a spotlight on its very own Regency-era writer—Katherine Plymley of Longnor.
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Known only to a few historians until recently, Miss Plymley kept detailed diaries from 1791 until her death in 1829. Now, thanks to the meticulous research of local performer Alison Utting—also known as "A Shropshire Lass"—her voice is being brought back to life in a new one-woman monologue, Miss Plymley Recollects.
Set to be performed at 2pm on April 26 at the historic Shrewsbury Unitarian Church, Utting’s performance will draw directly from Katherine's words, revealing a quietly extraordinary life full of sharp observations, social insight, and firsthand accounts of sweeping historical change.
“Katherine lived through the dawn of the industrial age, the rise of abolitionism, and the evolution of women’s roles in society,” says Utting. “Through her journals, we glimpse not only village life in Shropshire but also moments that shaped Britain and the wider world.”
Katherine, like Austen, never married. She lived her life in the family home in Longnor with her sister Ann and helped raise her brother’s twelve children. The Plymley household was a hub for forward-thinking families like the Darwins and Wedgwoods, and Katherine herself encountered key abolitionist figures including Thomas Clarkson, William Wilberforce, and even Black campaigners such as Olaudah Equiano and Prince Naimbana.
Her nephew Panton Plymley was present in Parliament on the historic day in 1807 when the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade was passed—an event Katherine detailed vividly in her diary.
The performance takes place in a building steeped in its own history—Shrewsbury Unitarian Church, once attended by a young Charles Darwin. After the show, guests can enjoy refreshments and purchase greeting cards featuring Katherine’s original watercolours, with half of all proceeds supporting Hope For Justice, a charity combating modern slavery.
Tickets for Miss Plymley Recollects can be booked online at ashropshirelass.org, reserved by phone at 01691 622093, or purchased on the door.
With praise already pouring in for Utting’s past performances, including her show Aggie—which audiences described as “entrancing,” “fascinating,” and “totally engaging”—this promises to be a stirring tribute to a forgotten local heroine.
