One of the UK’s forgotten suffragette’s could be marked at the Edinburgh festival by a Preston theatre company.

Claire Moore is starting a crowdfunding campaign to tell the story of Preston’s Edith Rigby.

Woman on Fire tells the story of the firebrand who torched Lord Leverhulme’s mansion at Rivington, was the first woman in the city to ride a bike and founded the Preston branch of The Women’s Social and Political Union.

Claire said: “The Edinburgh Fringe Festival during August is an ideal place to showcase this brand new play and gain media and industry attention for our work and the history of Preston.

“The fund is to cover the basic costs of taking a show to Edinburgh.

“Venue hire, publicity, travel, registration with the Festival. We operate without any funding whatsoever so every penny counts. If I’m lucky enough to beat my target this will mean I can also cover rehearsal costs.

“I hope readers agree Edith’s is a story worth sharing and I do hope people will help make it happen.”

Read more: Victorian Fair takes place in Winckley Square

Claire’s GoFundMe page says she needs £5,000 in total to take the play to Edinburgh.

Who was Edith Rigby?

She was born in the city in 1872 and married a doctor Charles Rigby.

They lived in Winckey Square where there is now a blue plaque to her.

She became a leading figure in Preston’s suffrage campaign, founding the Preston branch of the Women’s Social and Political Union. She spent time in prison for arson attacks linked to the suffrage campaign. Edith also campaigned for many other social and political causes, including the rights of working women and even helped to save the ancient bronze age monument at Bleasdale in Lancashire.

Will you be backing the theatre show? Let us know your views in the comments below