The Holy Spirit Was a Woman? The True Story Behind Extraordinary Theatre Show The Popess

In her one-woman theatre show The Popess: Instructions for Freedom, Elena Mazzon resurrects the little-known story of the Guglielmites, a radical 13th-century sect that believed the Holy Spirit had returned to earth as a woman. Blending meticulous research with cutting humour, Mazzon’s solo show follows Everywoman; a curious soul drawn into an audacious vision of a female-led church, and invites audiences to question the nature of truth, freedom, and faith in both the medieval world and our own.

Hi Elena! How would you sum up The Popess: Instructions for Freedom for readers who are new to the work?

The Popess is a dark-comedy solo show that retells the true story of an early feminist heresy - the Guglielmites. This radical 13th-century sect believed that a woman, Guglielma of Bohemia, was the incarnation of the Holy Spirit. She named another woman, Sister Maifreda, as her Popess, and together they were meant to usher in a new era of female-led spiritual authority. The show dives into this obliterated page of history, blending rigorous research with irreverent humour to explore themes of faith, freedom, and power. It’s part history lesson, part mystical experience, and part stand-up!

 “The Popess” brings this little-known but extraordinary piece of history to life. What first drew you to the story of the Guglielmites?

Initially, I was researching witchcraft in 16th-century Italy when, during a bout of lockdown boredom, I started flipping through a Tarot booklet. When I reached the High Priestess - the Popess - I was struck to discover that the card was inspired by a real woman: Maifreda da Pirovano Visconti. She was the first cousin of Matteo Visconti, the Duke of Milan in the late 13th century, and she was known as the Popess because she led a heretical movement that believed the second coming of Christ would be a woman. This movement, the Guglielmites, envisioned a new, female-led spiritual age.

I was astonished. None of my Tarot-reading or history-obsessed friends had ever come across this! It felt like a long-buried history that had finally slipped through the cracks. I couldn’t ignore it - I felt compelled to dig deeper, and eventually to weave in some fiction to bring this story back to life on stage.

What was the research process like for uncovering the real Maifreda and Guglielma?

Other than the Tarot connection and a few scattered articles, the bibliography on Guglielma of Bohemia and Maifreda da Pirovano is incredibly scarce. I was lucky enough to come across an essay by Italian feminist historian and philosopher Luisa Muraro, titled Guglielma e Maifreda: Storia di un’eresia femminista (Guglielma and Maifreda: Story of a Feminist Heresy). In it, Professor Muraro reconstructs the lives of these women and their congregation using records from the Inquisition trials; papers that were, quite mystically, discovered centuries later in the drawer of a grocer’s shop (How could they have possibly escaped the Inquisition archives?).

Unfortunately, there isn’t a great deal of surviving information, and much about Guglielma remains speculative. Was she really a Bohemian princess? A sister of Saint Agnes? I found myself imagining the gaps in the narrative, inventing characters who might have lived in that world - characters I later developed further during devising sessions with my director, Colin Watkeys.

It’s fascinating that, even now, this heretical movement remains so unknown -barely mentioned in most history books. That invisibility felt like a call to action.

The show questions institutional power, faith, and freedom. How do those themes resonate in today’s climate?

I find it incredibly relevant. In fact, the play has always been intended as an allegory for today’s relationship with power. It’s ironic - or tragic - that, in many ways, we still operate much like we did in the 1300s. We’ve simply swapped blind, dogmatic faith for other forms of dogma.

In my opinion, we-as a society- remain deeply polarised, in so many areas - politics, science, health - you name it - we’re locked into binary belief systems, leaving little room for nuance or doubt. This is, interestingly, not so different from what happened in the 13th century. That said, I think our medieval ancestors had a stronger connection to the spiritual world. Mystics comprehended something profound: that freedom is internal because we are all particles of the original source. You don’t need permission to be free, even if you’re in chains. That’s a powerful message, closely aligned with the true Christian message, and it still resonates today.

We often believe we’ll be free only once we have more money, better politicians, or no wars. But maybe it’s the other way around. Maybe if we begin by recognising our inner power and take responsibility for our lives, then the outer world can start to change. It is easy to say, and really hard to live by, I find. 

What’s one thing you learned in the process of making this show that totally blew your mind?

This is the second show I’ve developed with Colin, and I’m always amazed by how, through his process, we’re able to breathe life into characters and stories, often starting with nothing more than scribbled notes and moments of improvisation. What blows my mind is how naturally structure and momentum can emerge from something that begins so loose and chaotic. That creative alchemy never ceases to surprise me. 

What’s your backstage ritual? And what’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage?

A body scan meditation is a must for me - it helps me relax and stay present. I also love singing and doing vocal scales, and I’m definitely making that a permanent part of my ritual.

The Popess: Instructions for Freedom by Elena Mazzon will be at The Glitch, Waterloo from 3^rd. – 8^th September. For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/1718463