British Theatre Guide describes "Bess the Commoner Queen" as "A tour de force, a striking outstanding production, a triumph for actress Michelle Todd and playwright Kevin Fegan." Artsbeat said "this production deserves to be an award-winner".
The great news is that our national tour has already played sell-out shows at several venues including The Lowry, Drill Hall Lincoln, Lakeside Arts Nottingham and Pavillion Arts Centre Buxton. The frustrating news is that one of our key funders had to withdraw their funding. However we are committed to concluding our national tour at the prestigious King's Head Theatre London, in June, and taking up the offer of presenting a special performance at Derby Cathedral, where Bess of Hardwick is buried, in the Autumn. 
This is our first crowd-funding campaign. We need funds to be in place by mid-June 2019. The tour has been funded so far entirely from box office receipts. We are a team of freelance theatre-makers who live solely from our work. Our aim is simply to cover our costs for touring this very popular show. It is an ambitious one-woman show (with other characters appearing on screen) in a seamless mix of live performance and luscious film, shot on location at Hardwick Hall. Bess of Hardwick was a Derbyshire squire's daughter who became the closest female friend of Queen Elizabeth I and, at the same time, confidante to Mary Queen of Scots, who Bess was given the task of keeping under house-arrest for over fifteen years. Bess was a formidable business woman and rose to become the richest woman in Elizabethan England and built several stately homes, including Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall. 
We now need to borrow some of her smart business skills to help us take this opportunity and bring her story to a wider audience.
Click on our trailer and look through our range of rewards designed to thank you for believing in us and this important piece of theatre.
DONATION REWARDS
You can donate any amount, but we have designed a few rewards as incentives. 
For £20 donation you will receive a signed copy of the published script - value £10.
For £50 donation you will receive a signed copy of the published script, signed programme and cd of pre-show music (songs about Bess) by renowned folk singer Sarah McQuaid - total value £24.
For £100 donation you will receive two tickets for a performance at The King's Head Theatre London in June, meet and greet our "Bess", Michelle Todd, after the show, signed copy of the published script and signed programme - total value £48.
For £2000 donation you will receive a special private concert, up to 40 minutes in length, by soprano Michelle Todd at your home or a private UK venue. This would make a unique gift for an anniversary, birthday or special event. Date and time to be agreed between the artist and the donor. The concert can be classical, sacred, musical theatre or a mix of all three. Recordings of piano backing tracks provided by Michelle.