Fossil Mary: The Legend of Mary Anning, the World’s Greatest Fossil Hunter

“...these learned men have sucked my brains...“ 
Meet Mary Anning, pioneering palaeontologist and the world’s greatest fossil hunter. 

Born in Lyme Regis in 1799, Mary found her first dinosaur fossil at the age of 12. Her incredible discoveries revolutionised the way people thought about the evolution of life on Earth, but because she was a poor, working class woman she was spurned and patronised by the men of science who took the credit for her extraordinary work. 

However, in 2010, The Royal Society recognised her as one of the 10 most influential female scientists and her finds, now finally attributed to her, can be seen in museums around the world. She’s even made it to Mars! NASA named one of their drilling sites after her as, like Mary, it revealed details of an ancient environment.

This new play, written and performed by Phoenix Associate Artist Elizabeth Blake and directed by Brenda Longman celebrates Mary’s inspirational life and pays tribute to her remarkable achievements.