Do Not Pass Go image: Mihaela-Bodlovic
Here is a show that will change how you play Monopoly.
When having all the money in the world is seen as winning, wouldn’t it be better to share it and make sure everyone can live comfortably?
Sadly, it was not the game Magie won. Her invention would become part of the story behind Monopoly, a game that would make others rich while her contribution remained largely unknown.
Three clown activists, passionate about the injustice done to Lizzie Magie, take on a mission to tell the story of the game designer, writer, feminist and Georgist.
Jordan & Skinner, a feminist clown theatre company blending physical theatre, dance and politics, bring Magie’s story to life in Do Not Pass Go.
The show starts rather slowly, introducing Magie and inviting us to imagine what she was like: creative, funny and an outspoken activist for the feminist movement.
The opening relies heavily on physical movement, with sequences dedicated to different aspects of Magie’s life. It becomes even more engaging when the clowns turn to Magie’s invention of The Landlord’s Game, a property and taxation game designed to teach players about Georgism, an economic philosophy advocating the taxation of land values.
As with clown theatre, you do not always know exactly what is going on and things cna get a little mad. Unpredictable moments bring laughter across the audience, and the performance gains momentum as the Monopoly story unfolds. We learn about the rules of taxing that Magie wanted to popularise through her game and meet the man who seized an opportunity to make money from it. Perhaps he had an excuse: he wanted to support his family. Nevertheless, could he not have done so honestly?
The three actresses perform as clowns, taking turns embodying different characters, including Magie herself, Charles Brace Darrow, whom they call a liar and a thief, and the Parker Brothers (today known as Hasbro).
The portrayal of the brothers, accompanied by monstrous sounds, builds a sense of disgust towards the commercial interests they represent. Their performances bring humour to a story that might otherwise be difficult to stomach.
Imagine a world where there had been justice. A world where Lizzie Magie had been properly paid for her invention, and where people were more willing to learn about economic justice and equality than to focus on winning all the money. Is that the world we live in today? A world where other people matter more than the depth of your bank account?
The writing shows a great fascination with her story, matched by the three actresses’ passionate performances.
You feel the clowns’ anger and disappointment, but you also get to laugh with them and, more than anything, wish that the story had ended differently.
Jordan & Skinner bring Magie’s story to audiences in a play that feels as relevant today as it did when she patented The Landlord’s Game in 1904. Delivered in both English and British Sign Language (BSL), Do Not Pass Go is a lively, inclusive performance that challenges us to reconsider what winning really means. Perhaps the real question is not who wins the game, but what kind of world we want to live in.
Do Not Pass Go tours Scotland from 2 October to 7 November 2026, with performances in Easterhouse, Aberdeen, Inverness, Ullapool, Paisley, Dunoon, Edinburgh, Hawick, New Galloway, Greenock, Dundee and Glasgow.
Hi, I am Julia Braun Raven, an award-winning student journalist, having been named Arts Writer of the Year at the Herald Student Press Awards 2026. Following this achievement, I am continuing to develop my journalistic skills and contribute to The Herald’s arts and culture section under the mentorship of Arts Correspondent Brian Ferguson.
I am a third-year Journalism, Media & Communication and English & Creative Writing student. I was re-elected as Editor-in-Chief of the Strathclyde Telegraph for 2026/27. Alongside preparing for the new academic year, I am delighted to continue working with the team to create a student newspaper that reflects student life on campus, while also covering the wider issues shaping the world around us.
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