A gripping new play, The Manningtree Witches, adapted by Ava Pickett from AK Blakemore's award-winning novel, has opened at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester. The production focuses on the infamous 1645 witch trials in Manningtree, where five women were convicted and hanged by Matthew Hopkins, the self-styled 'witchfinder general'. The women jointly narrate the story, with primary focus on Rebecca, a sharp-witted teenager whose mother Anne is among the accused.
The play opens with a chilling line from Rebecca: 'It does not matter what is true... what matters is what is written down.' This sets the tone for a narrative that explores how historical records often fail to capture the full truth. Hopkins, portrayed by Sam Mitchell, enters the town as an innkeeper but soon reveals his true purpose, using sermons and fearmongering to target poor or widowed women, many of whom lost husbands or sons in the ongoing civil war.
Under Natasha Rickman's direction, the production blends period dress with a modern, dystopian feel reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's Gilead. Sara Perks' set design features a central staircase, floodlights, and a swarm of black from which characters emerge. Elena Peña's sound design and Nicola T Chang's compositions add to the nervous atmosphere, while Scott Graham's movement direction enhances the physicality of the performances.
Lucy Mangan delivers a standout performance as Rebecca, full of sharp tics and sultry physicality, while Gina Isaac's Anne carries a rebellious swagger, refusing to be defined as a victim. The play is as funny, profane, and bolshie as the women at its centre, and serves as both a mother-daughter love story and a powerful account of the witch trials. Pickett ensures that these women are seen as more than their tragic ends, challenging the sparse historical record that reduced them to mere footnotes.
