A new theatrical production by Richard Bradbury sheds fresh light on the political radicalism of Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, drawing parallels between state surveillance in Shelley’s time and authoritarian practices today.
Percy Bysshe Shelley, celebrated for his literary genius, was once branded a dangerous revolutionary. While previous critics often praised his poetry while downplaying his radical politics, Bradbury’s play, Regarding Shelley, places Shelley’s dissident activism at its core.
The play draws on historical records from 1812, when Shelley and his wife Harriet Westbrook fled to Ireland after supporting a failed insurrection and advocating for Irish emancipation—actions that positioned them as enemies of the British government.
During their six-week stay in Dublin, the Shelleys sought to promote Irish independence armed with pamphlets, idealism, and a limited understanding of Irish political complexities. Although this period is frequently overlooked in biographies, it proved formative for Shelley, who viewed Ireland as “an arena for the operations of reason and virtue.”
Shelley authored and distributed An Address to the Irish People, a pamphlet calling for Catholic emancipation, non-violent resistance, and Protestant-Catholic unity. Though it failed to significantly influence Irish politics, the experience profoundly impacted Shelley’s worldview.
Themes of liberty, justice, and opposition to tyranny that Shelley encountered in Ireland continued to inspire his poetry throughout his life.
The Shelleys faced relentless persecution from the Home Secretary, Viscount Sidmouth, and his network of spies. Even after relocating to Devon, they remained under intense state surveillance—a reality vividly portrayed in the play.
Shelley later retaliated through his fierce satire The Mask of Anarchy, which famously lambasted Sidmouth:
“Clothed with the Bible, as with light,
And the shadows of the night,
Like Sidmouth, next, Hypocrisy
On a crocodile rode by.”
Regarding Shelley merges historical drama with urgent contemporary themes, exploring the psychological and emotional toll of political surveillance on intimate relationships. The narrative focuses on a young couple grappling with the constant threat of persecution, yet drawing strength from their commitment to radical activism.
Bradbury’s play invites audiences to reconsider Shelley not only as a literary figure but as a courageous political dissident whose struggles echo in today’s fight against authoritarianism.
