The Ballad of Maria Marten

By Beth Flintoff
Directed by Sophie Barclay

The Ballad of Maria Marten is a dramatic retelling of the real-life “Red Barn Murder” of 1827, seen through the eyes of the woman at its heart. 

In rural Suffolk, Maria Marten sets out to meet her lover in a red barn, but she never returns. A year later her body is discovered hidden in a grain sack under the barn floor, barely recognisable, and a manhunt begins. 

Flintoff’s play re-centres Maria’s story, focusing on her life, friendships and voice rather than just the grisly crime, bringing urgency and humanity to a tale that became one of England’s most notorious murder mysteries.