The Popess: A Dark Comedy of Feminist Faith and Rebellion at The Glitch, September 2025

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, experience The Popess: Instructions for Freedom, a darkly funny solo play at The Glitch Theatre from 3rd–8th September 2025, reviving the bold, feminist rebellion of the 13th-century Guglielmites with wit and urgency.

The Popess: Instructions for Freedom

This September, The Glitch Theatre in London’s Lower Marsh will host The Popess: Instructions for Freedom, a darkly funny and fiercely relevant solo play by Italian-born actress and playwright Elena Mazzon. Running from 3rd to 8th September 2025, this provocative production dives into a little-known chapter of history: the 13th-century Guglielmite movement, a feminist religious sect that dared to challenge the male-dominated Catholic Church with a radical vision of female-led salvation.

The Popess resurrects the true story of the Guglielmites, a group who believed a woman named Guglielma was the Holy Spirit incarnate, destined to usher in a “Third Testament” and a renewed era of Christianity. Before her death in 1281, Guglielma appointed a nun, Maifreda da Piovano, as her “Popess”—a bold act that defied the Church’s misogynistic norms. The movement’s audacity peaked when Maifreda performed mass on Easter Sunday 1300, during the first-ever jubilee year, drawing the wrath of the Inquisition. The consequences were brutal: Guglielma’s bones were disinterred and burned, and Maifreda, along with many followers, was executed for heresy.

A Witty and Urgent Performance

Directed by Colin Watkeys, the play features Mazzon as Everywoman, a naive yet curious soul navigating the tensions between fear, faith, and the yearning for something greater. Through her character’s journey, audiences are drawn into the Guglielmites’ forbidden vision of a women-led spiritual revolution. With sharp wit and urgency, Mazzon’s fast-paced performance unpacks the clash between personal belief and institutional power, inviting viewers to question who gets to define truth and what freedom truly means when faith becomes rebellion.

The play’s contemporary feminist lens resonates deeply in today’s world, where battles over authority, gender, and belief remain as urgent as ever. Mazzon’s ability to blend dark comedy with historical insight makes The Popess both entertaining and thought-provoking, offering a fresh perspective on a forgotten story of defiance.

About Elena Mazzon

Elena Mazzon, an Italian-born actress and playwright based in London since 2006, has a knack for reviving overlooked women’s stories with humor and heart. Her previous solo play, Clara: Sex, Love, and Classical Music, earned international acclaim, and The Popess has already captivated audiences in London, New York, and Italy since its 2024 premiere. Mazzon’s stage and screen credits include The Count of Montecristo, Killing Eve, and Anna and Modern-Day Slavery.

Don’t miss this limited run of The Popess, a daring exploration of faith, power, and rebellion that’s as hilarious as it is haunting. Join the holy revolution this September at The Glitch.

Find The Popess now:

The Glitch, Lower Marsh, London, SE1 7AE
 Wednesday 3rd – Monday 8th September 2025
 7pm (And 2pm matinee Sat)

Running time: 60 minutes
 https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/1718463