(Photo: Lloyd Sturdy / Naomi Paxton)

November 2025

Dr Naomi Paxton’s
Behind the Nightlight: Quaint beasts in an Edwardian nursery

In November 2025, the Muriel Matters Society, the Francis Routh Trust, and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London Presented Behind the Nightlight: Rediscovering an Edwardian Arts Phenomenon.

The event, which was held in London, saw variety artist Ada Campe accompanied by pianist Sarah Rose, and cabaret legend Dusty Limits revived a 1912 viral literary sensation – the whimsical imagination of a three-year-old called Joan – set to music by Liza Lehmann, one of the most prolific Edwardian female composers.

Behind the Nightlight, first published in 1912, was a collection of short stories describing the imaginary creatures seen by a three-year-old girl named Joan in her nursery. Her mother, actress Nancy Price, transcribed Joan’s stories verbatim and the book was an immediate success, running to four editions in just two years. Contemporary reviewers were captivated by the rare insight into a child’s imagination, with Joan’s fantastical creations being frequently compared to the characters of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

Both Nancy Price and Liza Lehmann were members of the Actresses’ Franchise League, a group of theatre and entertainment professionals campaigning for women’s suffrage. Together, they toured the musical settings of Behind the Nightlight across the UK in 1913, celebrating creativity, performance, and the imaginative world of a young child through live music and storytelling.

Video from the Performance

For more information, visit Naomi’s website at: www.naomipaxton.co.uk

Supported by the Muriel Matters Society