IF THE statue outside Hereford Shire Hall was ever removed, who would be chosen to take its place?

Should a woman now replace George Cornewall Lewis on the plinth?

In 2001 the seven-foot-tall bronze statue of former county MP was pushed from its stone plinth. The statue, unveiled by Lord Palmerston in 1864, was rocked free from its plinth and toppled unceremoniously to street level. It was later repaired and returned to its plinth.

However, this ‘Empty Plinth’ scenario is the subject of a new play in which Violet Szabo, a British-French Special Operations Executive agent during the Second World War is one five exceptional women from Herefordshire’s history being brought back to life in a new play.

Together, in this short and lively production, it features funny and moving moments involving Nell Gwyn, Lady Brilliana Harley, Sarah Siddons, Elsie Abel and Violette Szabo who share their stories as actresses, a Civil War heroine and a Canary Girl.

The play was commissioned by Bartonsham History Group as its contribution to Hereford History Day which was themed to celebrate some of the city’s unsung heroes. ‘The Empty Plinth ‘ was performed at Hereford Town Hall, Callow Parish Hall and Bartonsham Scout Hut.

The cast are all young Hereford teenagers. Elsa Bennett is Violette Szabo, Iona Wilkins plays Nell Gwyn, Amma Brewer-Arrall is Brilliana Harley, April Sainz-Royo portrays Elsie Abel and Tilda Mason is Sarah Siddons. George Pilkington and Josh Hoar play a number of different parts within the production.

The play was written and directed by Paul Murray, who has a career in theatre and education, has written extensively for young Herefordshire companies.

Rosemary Rigby, the founder of the Violet Szabo museum based in Wormelow, was invited to the production at Callow Parish Hall and said afterwards: “The play was very interesting and the beret the young actress wore as Violette was a nice touch.

“I was also very appreciative that the poem, ‘The Life That I Have’ written by Leo Marks dedicated to Violette, was included in the play and delivered with the sensitivity it deserved.”

● Violette Szabo, GC was a British-French Special Operations Executive agent during the Second World War and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her second mission into occupied France, Violette was captured by the German army, interrogated, tortured, and deported to a concentration camp in Germany, where she was executed.

● Nell Gwyn was an English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stage, she became best known for being a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England. She is likely to have begun her acting career at the Hereford Theatre. 

● Lady Harley Brilliana, was a 17th century heroine in the English Civil War who, in the absence of the men of her family, defended her husband’s castle at Brampton Bryan from Royalist forces. In doing so she became a true wartime heroine, her death being mourned by friend and foe alike for her courage under great adversity.

● Sarah Siddons was a 19th century actress, best-known for her ‘tragedienne’ of the 18th century.  She was most famous for her portrayal of the Shakespeare character Lady Macbeth, a character she made her own.

● Elsie Abel was a ‘jailbird’ imprisoned after a city demo in 1918, triggering protests from MPs and trade unions. She also saved the Rotherwas National Filling Factory from an explosion giving her the ‘Canary Girl’ title for working with munitions during the Second World War.