HUNDREDS of people visiting Lincoln Castle walk past the grave of Priscilla Biggadike every day – but now her tragic story is set to become a musical.
Priscilla was hanged at the castle in 1868 for the murder of husband Richard at their home in Stickney, near Boston.
She was buried in the castle's Lucy Tower, but years after her death, her lodger confessed to the crime.
BBC Lincolnshire are now preparing to stage a musical based on her tragic story – and is urging singers with a killer voice to audition.
Priscilla Biggadike: The Musical will be held in the castle's prison on April 7.
BBC Lincolnshire is looking for singers aged 16 and over to audition for parts in the production, including the judge, the executioner and Priscilla herself.
John Offord, outreach project manager at BBC Lincolnshire, said: "There are various accounts of what happened to Priscilla Biggadike and the 30-minute musical will explore different aspects of her story.
"It's a story that deserves to be retold and remembered, and we want to involve the whole community.
"You don't need any previous experience to audition – just a passion for singing.
"There'll be no professional performers involved – just the people of Lincoln looking back at our history and celebrating our heritage." | Angie Clay, site co-ordinator explained how Priscilla's tragic tale captured people's imaginations.
She said: "Priscilla lived with her husband Richard in a two-bedroom house with two children and two lodgers. She was hanged for murder after allegedly putting arsenic in a cake. When she was incarcerated, she said she'd seen one of her lodgers do it, Thomas Procter, who was a rat-catcher by trade.
"She retracted that statement and was convicted of hanging on circumstantial evidence.
"There was no real proof but the jury convicted her.
"There's a lot of sympathy around Priscilla – nowadays a jury would have probably found her innocent.
"After she was hanged, Thomas Proctor confessed on his death bed to the murder of Richard.
"It's quite a tragic story which captures the imagination – people like to look after an underdog.
"Priscilla seems to be one of the more famous residents we have at Lincoln Castle and to this day we still have her descendents visiting and occasionally we even find flowers on her grave."
The auditions will be held on March 22 at the BBC Lincolnshire studios in Newport, Lincoln.
The deadline for applications is this Sunday.
Anyone interested is asked to call the station on 01522 511411 or e-mail lincolnshire@bbc.co.uk |