Share A Cup of Tea with George Eliot
Liz Mance brings her one woman show to the Barons Court Theatre
The ticket price includes tea and cake
August 3, 2026
There is to be a chance to step into the world of one of England’s greatest novelists this August, as A Cup of Tea With George Eliot arrives at Barons Court Theatre for a six-day run as part of the Camden Fringe festival. The one-woman show, performed by Chiswick actor Liz Mance, invites audiences to spend an hour in the company of George Eliot herself — complete with a complimentary cup of tea and a slice of cake.
Described by The Guardian as “perfect for a book loving crowd”, the production blends biography, storytelling and gentle humour to illuminate the extraordinary life and work of Mary Ann Evans, better known to the world as George Eliot. Through Mance’s performance, audiences are guided through Eliot’s unconventional personal life, her intellectual circle, and the novels that reshaped Victorian literature, from Middlemarch to The Mill on the Floss.
The show arrives in Barons Court following a highly successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024, where it sold out several performances and earned warm praise from festival-goers. For Liz, who lives locally, bringing the production to West London feels like a homecoming.
“My target audience are people who have an interest in history or literature,” she explains. “It is all about the life, world and work of George Eliot — and everyone gets a cup of tea and a piece of cake with their ticket. I’m thrilled to be performing it at Barons Court Theatre.”
The format is intimate and inviting: Eliot welcomes her guests for an afternoon of conversation, reflection and storytelling, drawing on her letters, essays and novels to explore the themes that shaped her writing — morality, love, ambition, and the complexities of human character. The result is a warm, accessible introduction to one of the most influential voices of the 19th century.
Barons Court Theatre, tucked beneath The Curtains Up pub, has long been a champion of small-scale, character-driven productions. Its cosy, atmospheric space is ideally suited to this performance, which relies on closeness and connection rather than elaborate staging.
Thie show runs from 10–15 August and tickets are available via Camden Fringe.
Each ticket includes tea, cake and an hour in the company of one of literature’s most formidable minds — brought to life by a performer with a genuine passion for Eliot’s legacy.
Barons Court Theatre is at 28a Comeragh Road, W14 9HR (nearest tubes: Barons Court and West Kensington).
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