The Boatswain's Mate
The Boatswain's Mate is an opera in one act (but in two parts) written by British composer and suffragette Ethel Smyth in 1913–14 set to her own libretto, which was based on a story of the same name by W. W. Jacobs. It was Smyth's fourth opera, and it is sometimes claimed as a feminist opera. The piece centers around a humorous battle of the sexes featuring a feisty and resourceful heroine who outwits her scheming suitor (but perhaps falls for his accomplice—this is left to the speculation of the reader or audience). In summary, the opera's score has been described by Stephen Banfield as "interspersed with spoken dialogue in part 1, [it] is symphonically constructed around folksongs and Smyth's own March of the Women; its pacing and orchestration are adroitly managed." Performance history From December 1913 to May 1914, Smyth stayed at a hotel in Helwan, Egypt, in order to compose The Boatswain's Mate free from distractions, although she kept up a continual correspondence with Emmeline Pankhurst. The hotel, formerly the palace of Tewfik Pasha, was suggested by her friend Ronald Storrs, who was an official under Lord Kitchener in Cairo. On returning to Europe, Smyth arranged for the