Play Review: The Witchfinder's Sister

The Witchfinder's sister is a chilling tale based on the real life witch hunts of Thomas Hopkins. It was first written by Beth Underdown and was later adapted for the stage by Vickie Donoghue. The play tells the tale of Alice Hopkins an intelligent and independent woman who returns to her Essex home after a personal tragedy. Upon her arrival she finds her once beloved brother to be a Witchfinder and embroiled in a dark conspiracy against the women of the area. Alice embarks on a mission to put an end to the hysteria and save the women she knows to be innocent, attempting to save her brother's soul in the process. 

Through the use of names and locations most associated with the 1600's witch hunts the story is instantly chilling before the production has even begun. This sense of fear and terror is added to throughout the production through the intense plot, filled with great moments of suspense and an ongoing mystery which allows the audience to unravel the conspiracy at the heart of the Hopkins family. As lines begin to blur between what is real and what is illusion for Alice, the audience too becomes uncertain as to whether they can trust real world logic or if the story is delving into something more supernatural. As such The Witchfinder's Sister provides a wonderfully chilling story with an enthralling plot which is perfect for halloween. 

Not only does this play bring a timely tale due to its Halloween like themes but also a timely tale in terms of highlighting historical misogyny which is still very much present today. The show is made up of an almost entirely female cast bar the actor who plays Thomas. However the control for which his character commands over this far larger group of characters brings something frightening of its own. Thomas, due to his own fears and insecurities, gaslights and abuses many of the women in the show, with his expressions of anger often being more startling than anything supernatural. Through also highlighting how historically the women accused of witchcraft were often the independent, promiscuous and/or intelligent The Witchfinder's Sister crafts a story which strikes a perfect balance between the fear of the unknown and the supernatural with the real life fear many women face daily due to the sexism ever present in our society.  

In terms of critical observations, if any, is that at times it could be slow paced with certain scenes in the first act of the play feeling like they could be shortened to maintain a steady flow of plot. Furthermore, I find some issues with making the villainous lead facially scarred (especially as historically he was not) as scarred villains produce a lot of stigma for those who are scarred in real life. However, the production should not really hold any blame for this as Hollywood movies still produce scarred villains and many are unaware the stigma surrounding it. 

The staging for this production of The Witchfinder's Sister was also amazing. Audiences could easily be found at the edge of their seats due to the wonderful effects creating an unsettling atmosphere throughout the theatre. Through the chants of the accused witches names being echoed through speakers around the theatre to the green lighting and smoke which engulfed the stage, the theatre instantly became eerie and full of dread. With the smell of the smoke being reminiscent of that of the fires present at witch trials and the loud noises blasted through speakers at pivotal moments of the show, you really felt as if you were present at the witch hunt or part of your own horror movie. 

Furthermore, the cast were all exceptional. You could really feel the horror and dread many of the characters were facing through out the production and my thoughts barely strayed to think that these are simply actors and not their characters. Both Lily Knight and George Kemp perfectly conveyed a complicated sibling relationship whilst masterfully expressing the anger and sadness which may result through such a relationship breaking down into a sea of mistrust and contempt. They both also wonderfully communicated their characters feeling of hysteria in certain points of the production.  

Whilst I went into the Witchfinder's Sister with little expectation of anything, I left pleasantly surprised having been treated to a wonderfully staged production of a chilling tale of misogyny and horror.