'I am the Labour Party candidate. Now ask me why.'

'Why?'

'Because I am the best damn person for the job.'

The top candidate without question, Vanessa was made to be Mayor. Thirty years prior, Josie just wants things to change and seeks a seat on the local council.

Chris Bush's play Steel explores the last three decades of women in politics, asking what's changed and what still must.

The play premiered at Sheffield Theatres Studio in September 2018.



Chris Bush is a playwright, lyricist and theatre-maker, and was the 2013 Pearson Playwright-in-Residence for Sheffield Theatres. Her other plays include an adaptation of Pericles (National Theatre, London), The Assassination of Katie Hopkins (with Matt Winkworth), What We Wished For and A Dream.



'Bush is cementing her reputation as one of the country's most interesting playwrights - Steel is hilarious, yet its serious messages packs a punch. This is a fantastic new play, expertly crafted in its language, setting, performance and direction - and one that speaks clearly to 2018'



'Bush's script is sharp, witty and uncannily topical... it culminates powerfully towards the end, with a stunning monologue that takes in Brexit, gender politics, and the history of the Labour Party, all in two minutes'



'A sharp-witted political drama… the arguments that dart across the stage always feel deeply rooted in the beliefs of the characters… for all the petty disagreement and lost faith that characterises contemporary politics, Steel makes it rousingly clear why some battles remain worth fighting'