THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN

A tragic drama by Beth Flintoff

Monday, September 8th, 2025

to

Saturday, September 13th, 2025

Summer, 1827. In a red barn in Suffolk, Maria Marten awaits her lover. A year later, hidden in a grain sack under the barn floor, Maria's body is found – barely identifiable – and the manhunt begins.

The 'Red Barn Murder' had all the hallmarks of a classic crime drama: a missing body, a disreputable squire, and a rural village stuck in its age-old traditions. But whilst it sent shockwaves throughout the country, Maria's own story was lost. The Ballad of Maria Marten rediscovers that story, bringing it back to vivid, urgent life.

"The genius of what Beth Flintoff has done is that it is not about the gruesome murder...but the person. Vital, layered and empowered, a beautiful piece of theatre" - A Younger Theatre