About the Show

Experience Edwardian seaside beauty pageants in Princess Essex, a new play by Anne Odeke, at the Globe this summer.

In 1908 Southend-on-Sea, Princess Dinubolu of Senegal disrupts norms by entering a beauty contest at Kursaal, Europe's largest entertainment complex.

"Princess Essex," a lively play by Anne Odeke at the Globe, unfolds this empowering true story. Odeke's debut work celebrates authenticity, audacity, and challenges enduring stereotypes, offering a dynamic exploration of societal norms.

Critic Reviews (5)

"...it’s frustrating when the story meanders into scenes that at times feel superfluous."
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“Anne Odeke is a magnetic presence”
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"Directed by Robin Belfield, the whole stage shrieks with life."
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"Princess Essex is proof of Anne Odeke’s immeasurable skills...as actor and as creator."
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"whisks us to the knickerbockered glory of the Edwardian seaside for sugared snobberies"
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Trailer

Creative team

Shakespeare's Globe (UK)