A timely reflection on the politics of the Second World War, Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London follows Eleanor Roosevelt’s, wife of the President, trip to wartime London in October 1942, to visit US troops and to see how the British women are coping.

Nominated for a Best Female Performance Offie Award for her performance, and granted special permission from the Roosevelt Estate to use Eleanor's writings, Alison Skilbeck's one-woman show explores the public and hidden life of one of the most extraordinary women of the 20th century. 

After the performance, Alison Skilbeck was in conversation with Professor Jo Fox, Director of the Institute of Historical Research, where she reflected on the challenges of capturing historical figures on stage and of representing the past through performance. 

A full review of this event is available on the On History Blog: From Archive to Stage: Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London by IHR Librarian Matthew Shaw.

This event was supported by the BAAS / US Embassy Small Grants Programme.