The Popess Returns: Elena Mazzon Revives a Lost Feminist Rebellion

In The Popess: Instructions for Freedom, Elena Mazzon resurrects the radical true story of a 13th-century feminist uprising led by women who believed salvation could only come through the divine feminine. Blending dark comedy, historical provocation and unexpected hope, the show charts the rise and brutal suppression of a movement that challenged the authority of the Church, and dares us to reconsider who gets to define truth, power, and faith. As the show prepares for its run at The Glitch, we caught up with Elena Mazzon to talk rebellion, religion, and the questions she hopes audiences carry with them long after the curtain falls.

Why did you choose to tell this story?

It’s a story of rebellion, hope, and courage - and it deeply resonated with me at a very specific moment in my life and I felt the urge to dramatise it. The themes spoke to something personal, but also universal.

How has the show evolved since its early performances in London and New York?

In many ways, the show evolves with every performance. Each audience brings its own unique energy, and that directly influences the way the story unfolds. I often find myself “discovering” new layers and nuances in the piece as I perform it. The interactive elements play a significant role in this dynamic, making each show a singular, living experience.

The Guglielmites believed salvation could only come through women. Do you think their vision was naïve, radical, or prophetic?

I don’t believe they were naïve at all. If anything, they were prophetic - and certainly in line with a millennia-old tradition that has been gradually erased over time. I’d like to think they were ahead of their time, pointing towards a future where we are, slowly but surely, moving towards a greater balance between the feminine and the masculine.

What’s your favourite line from the show? And the one that always gets a reaction?

One line that always gets a reaction comes right at the beginning, when an enthusiastic Everywoman introduces the Guglielmite belief and declares: “Dogs stood more chances than women, but now… we have a Popess!”Everywoman is direct and to the point, much like someone from the medieval world might have been. To us, her bluntness is funny, even disarming, and it sets the tone straight away.

But my personal favourite is a quieter moment: “With a heavy heart, I started looking for answers.”To me, it captures the heart of the piece. It speaks to a deep, often unspoken, collective need for meaning - something profoundly human, and central to the journey of the play.

 If you could ask Maifreda one question, what would it be?

What would it take for us to build the world you once imagined?

What conversations do you hope audiences are having on the way home from the theatre?

I hope the journeys of these women open up questions - questions about life, purpose, authority. I’d love for audiences to leave the theatre thinking not just about history, but about how those themes resonate in their own lives today.

 Lastly, three words to describe The Popess?

Unconventional. Defiant. Witty.

The Popess: Instructions for Freedom by Elena Mazzon will be at The Glitch, Waterloo from 3^rd. – 8^th September. For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/1718463