Dr Naomi Paxton
@naomipaxton
Freelance historian of the Actresses' Franchise League and suffrage theatre and entertainments... does books, talks, walks, radio, games, exhibitions, and workshops. Also alter ego of award-winning comedy, cabaret & magic act Ada Campe naomipaxton.co.uk
Guy behind me on the train says he doesn’t “think women are funny” - that’s a blast from the past! He’s seeing shows at EdFringe this week. I’m hosting lots of comedy shows at #EdFringe this week. If Ada Campe sees him she’ll be keen to chat 😈 #throwback #everydavsexism #karmawishlist
So excited to have this new friend, all the way from the House of Automata in Scotland He needs restringing and perhaps a new uniform, but his face just makes me happy 😊 Can’t wait to find out what adventures he is dreaming about 😃 #marionette #puppet
I’m being a tour guide this week in the beautiful London Palladium! #londontours #tourguide #theatrehistory #londonhistory
So glad to have caught this @bushtheatre.bsky.social before it closes - and the acting was refreshingly good 🙌🙌🙌
The fluffy Curious Cat with pince-nez and a fan, created by French toy and automata makers Roullet & Decamps around 1950. On display in the glorious House of Automata in Scotland. #cat #automaton #1950s
Suffrage theatre connections are everywhere! Seeing this today @vadundee.bsky.social made me happy 😊
Got this book for £1 in a charity shop on Thurs evening, read it that night, then donated it to a different charity shop on Friday morning. A holiday read as not my usual type of thing at all but was totally gripped! Then went to Pitlochry, saw a truly terrible show, and am now in Dundee.
Horse portrait bomb! 😄 An 18th century portrait of Margaret Macpherson of Cluny… and a random horse 😆 In the Clan MacPherson museum in Newtonmore #clanmacpherson #surprisehorse
A treat to meet Nancy, a breathing automaton created in Paris c. 1910. She didn’t seem too bothered by my presence, and cracked on with her sewing 😄 Incredible to see her up close - just one of the wonderful exhibits at The House of Automata 😍
An honour to accept the UK Pantomime Association award for Best Supporting Artist for my performance in “Growled: Beauty and the Beast continues…” at the RVT. Chuffed! Excited! Delighted! Touched! 🥳💚 #adacampe #pantomime #pantomimeawards #rvtpanto
Tonight! I’m performing on this wonderful variety bill in the magnificence of Wilton’s Music Hall. Starts 7pm, last tickets available here: wiltons.org.uk/whats-on/tid... #musichall #whatsonlondon
Rocked up to the Dorfman box office at 7pm to see if they had a single seat for Pride tonight, and they did! Thanks to my union, got it as an Equity standby too 💪 #solidarity #pride #equity
This is a teenage Doris Lytton onstage at the Haymarket Theatre in 1909, playing a secretary for the secret Suffrage Society and in disguise as a chauffeur. New blog post about her business side hustle in 1920: www.naomipaxton.co.uk/blog/cinderella-doris-lyttons-soft-shoe-side-hustle
Absolutely stunning Moss’ Empires Limited doorplate letter box - not sure of exact date but looks to be early twentieth century. Spotted today in a staircase leading to an office front of house at the London Palladium, which became part of Moss Empires portfolio in the 1940s.
Gosh - 13 yrs ago we launched my first Methuen Book of Suffrage Plays at @nationaltheatre.org.uk I was 2 yrs into my PhD and so excited to share the research… & 13 yrs later that excitement hasn’t diminished! Eternal thanks to Janie Dee & Samantha Bond for their wonderful support & enthusiasm 🙌 🩷💚
South London peeps! Looking for some free law journals? Hotfoot it to Crystal Palace station 👍
Couldn’t have anticipated this earlier today, but I spent this evening in a Cybertech research office at a London university with my wife and a small group of lovely strangers, drinking grenadine and Sprite and watching Suffs. The show was just as good (and moving) as I remember it being live 🙌🙌🙌
So thrilled to be on the front of the Crazy Coqs brochure for June! Gosh and wow. A few tickets left for the show tonight - starts 8.45pm and runs 1hr 😃 www.brasseriezedel.com/events/the-m...
Enjoyed the penny arcade in Rye Heritage Centre, but still unsure as to the answer here. Have I a personality?!
I’ve been researching this chap for a good six months - reading his autobiography, tracking his career through newspaper archives and theatre history books - and now this record has arrived all the way from 1910 (via eBay) am going to be able to hear his voice for the first time! Excited!
Self tape Sunday - and a plug for my upcoming show 💚💚💚 www.brasseriezedel.com/events/the-m... #selftape #bankholidayweekend
Pic with slightly more detailed ins and outs and turnaround times if you are interested 😄 Now on a rabbit hole off that rabbit hole looking into the chap running the Up-Town Steamship booking office on Broadway, who later also had offices on Charing Cross Road. Ooh I do love research!
Sadly didn’t win! But thrilled to be a finalist etc etc and hey - I won the UK Pantomime Award so two would be greedy 😄
Off to the beautiful Clapham Grand for the #FringeTheatreAwards! Ada is a finalist in the Best Panto Performance category… if I win I’ll get a taxi home! 😄 #adacampe #daydrag
Happy Music Hall and Variety Day 2026! Here to celebrate is Ada Campe riding her cabaret duck Dilys down some stairs at the beautiful Rivoli Ballroom 🦆😄💚 #adacampe #musichallvarietyday #mhvd2026
Update - it didn’t rain, the group was lovely, and we bumped into Peter Barratt the great-grandson of Leicester suffragette Alice Hawkins in Professor Diamond mode at the May Fayre! As I’d just been talking about suffrage Punch and Judy it couldn’t have been a more perfect encounter 💚
Morning. Two lovely cabaret shows last night… now up bright and early (for me) and heading into town to give an Actresses’ Franchise League West End Theatre walk. Hope it doesn’t rain!