These Shining Lives (2025)
Performances: Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 July 2025, Old Fire Station
Contents
Introduction
The true story of women who worked painting watch dials with glowing radium paint at the Radium Dial Company in the 1920s and 30s, unaware of its deadly consequences.
This deeply moving drama follows the journey of four courageous women as they fight for justice after discovering that their work has poisoned them. These Shining Lives is not just a story of corporate negligence, but of resilience, friendship, and the strength of the human spirit, as the women band together to take on their employer in a landmark legal battle that changes American labour laws forever.
Preview from the SLT website
What was it about this play that inspired you to direct it?
I saw it several years ago when a friend directed it and it stuck with me. Mostly it was the friendship between the women as well as the quiet, palpable love between Catherine and her husband Tom that I remembered. I tend to be drawn to plays about women who don’t think they are strong but somehow find a desire to fight.
Presumably this was not an isolated case concerning this kind of poisoning?
Not at all. The Radium Dial Company and others like them had factories all over the USA and probably Canada. There was another suit in New Jersey around the same time, but they settled out of court. But it was the women in Ottawa, Illinois who kept fighting and were responsible for the laws being changed and big businesses having to take responsibility for their worker’s health and wellbeing.
One of our cast met someone who had known the buyer of the original building in Chicago. Even decades later they had to deal with the radium especially around the window frames as it seems this was where they left the watches to dry.
Kate Moore, the author of The Radium Girls, a story which “fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium” will be holding a brief Q&A after the performance on 4 July. The book won the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Best History, was voted U.S. librarians’ favourite non-fiction book of 2017, and became a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller.
What have you found challenging about directing this piece?
Oh, the usual when needing to get busy people all in the same room at the same time! There is so little we can do in this play if anyone is missing because of the flowing style of it.
But also, trying to find the light as well as the dark. I tried to stay away from being melodramatic. We have had some wonderful discussions about the anger and the emotion it brings up, but we have also laughed an awful lot!
Tell us about the characters we'll meet.
First of all, Catherine Donahue (Ellena Jones) who was the one chosen on behalf of the Ottawa, Illinois women to actually sue the company, and her husband Tom (Alex Davies). For me they are the heart of the play. In the script, the actor playing Tom is allocated to play other roles as well, but I thought this slightly diluted their relationship, so I’ve added an actor (Gavin Donellan) who plays several roles.
Then there are the other women, Charlotte (Synne Marie Tansem), Frances (Zahra Jennings Grant) and Pearl (Julia Blyth). In reality these women all stood by Catherine and Tom while they fought their own battles. We also meet the manager Mr Reed and the women’s lawyer Leonard Grossman (both Randy Brown), who worked for free and the doctor who finally helps them. Even minor characters are very loosely based on real people involved in the case.
What do you hope your audiences will take away from this story?
I hope they come away informed, shocked and angry. But mostly moved.
Describe the show in three words.
Informative, heartwarming, absorbing.
Cast
- Catherine Donahue - Ellena Jones
- Charlotte Purcell - Synne Marie Tansem
- Frances O'Connoll - Zahra Jennings Grant
- Pearl Payne - Julia Blyth
- Tom Donahue - Alex Davies
- Mr Reed / Leonard Grossman - Randy Brown
- Company Doctor / Dr Rowntree / Announcer / Dr Dalitch / Judge - Gavin Donnellan
Crew
- Assistant Director - Jonathan Pott-Negrine
- Stage Manager - Eddie Coleman
- Assistant Stage Manager - Gabriella Andronico
- Lighting Designer - Bryon Fear
- Operator - Dennis Fenton
- Sound Designer - Adam Crook
- Set Designer - Bryon Fear with Barry Heselden
- Costumes - Cara Rodway, Faith Powlett
- Show Photography - Phil Gammon
- Rigging - Sean Thomas, Bryon Fear, Chaz Doyle
- Set Construction - Sean Thomas, Bryon Fear, Chaz Doyle, Barry Heselden, Anna Rubincam, Chris Purcell, cast and crew
Reviews
These Shining Lives is on this week and I have had the privilege of watching this production develop into a stunning piece of theatre. If you haven’t done so, book tickets and get your self down to SLT.
Barry Heselden
Really loved seeing the last dress of These ShiningLlives tonight. A fascinating story, but you're kept on the edge of your seats and despite the sad inevitability of it all the female quartet of characters are so well written they sparkle with humor and have an iron core of strength you are rooting for them from the first minute. Well done to the lovely ensemble and it's beautifully staged with authentic touches in the set. A brilliant use of the space and probably the best bit of traverse theatre I've seen at SLT. Have a brilliant run all
Charlotte Benstead
What Charlotte said! Laughter and tears as we follow 4 individual women who compete to be the best in their job, little knowing that their health is at stake as a result. Delightful performances from the cast of 4 women and 3 men, with some of them doubling up in other roles. Clever use of the stage and lighting and sound effects as time ticks away, too quickly for many. Mesmerising.
Christine Theophilus
These Shining Lives What a beautiful story. So brilliantly done, LilyAnn Green Coleman once again you’ve outdone yourself.
Special mention to the way the traverse was used - so well executed. Everyone was perfectly cast and each character has their own special ‘shine’. Wonderful!
Florence Henderson
Congratulations to all in Shining Lives. Beautifully and sensitively performed. Heartfelt but not mawkish. Loved it
Jess Osorio
A powerful and moving story (and one of which I'd been entirely unaware), engaging, absorbing and well told with clearly defined characters and staging.
Another great SLT evening
Helen Jones
Gallery
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.
See Also
The Radium Girls on Kate Moore's website
