Witch

Itching to Scratch

Witch

by Jen Silverman, after Thomas Dekker, John Ford and William Rowley

Teddington Theatre Club at the Hampton Hill Theatre until 12^th September

Review by Polly Davies

I can’t say that the idea of a modern take on a Jacobean morality play sounded very appealing, but how wrong I was. This is a fabulous production of Jen Silverman’s witty and clever adaptation of The Witch of Edmonton. And to be honest it doesn’t bear a great resemblance to the original 17^th Century version. True some of the names are still there. It still features a woman generally regarded as a witch and yes, it still has a devil, but that’s about it. And director Alexsandra Marzocca and the production team make the most of a very promising and unashamedly feminist script.

Here the devil is a beautifully crafted slick salesman, keen to make his sales targets, proud of his choice of persona, and very good at his job. In this case, the sales targets are pitched at persuading the occupants of a very rural sixteenth century Edmonton to sell their souls. An outstanding performance by Archie George as Scratch. Whether deviously discovering the price of a soul, flirting and falling for Elizabeth, or having a mid-life crisis he was utterly believable. His victims can’t help to fall under his charm, but all expect him to home in on Elizabeth, long seen as an outcast and probable witch. Amanda Adams’ Elizabeth is far from the wizened old woman in the original. This is a modern woman, able to stand her ground and take on the devil on his own terms. Equally strong performances from the rest of the small cast mean the play’s twists and turns, each gently hinting at the prejudices and passions that still persist, are equally entertaining and very funny.

I really felt for Matt Tester’s gay but loyal son Cuddy as he saw himself eclipsed, as well as sympathising with John Mortley’s Sir Arthur’s desperate attempts to keep everyone happy. Jasper Loxton was capitalism personified as Frank, overcoming his scruples as he made his pitch to inherit the castle. And Rosie Nash gave strength of character to his wronged but never defeated wife Winifred.

Emma Knight’s choreography, which saw Elizabeth’s Salem-style dancing introduce the play, carried the story through a minuet and included some exceedingly clever play with the placing of chairs, was perfect. The fight scene, yes there was even a fight scene, was hilarious, so thanks to Dane Hardie for that. And the set was beautiful. We even walked in over a well-constructed autumnal floor. And then there was the music. The hauntingly beautiful playlist, matched by the quality of the sound provided by Derek Baum provided the atmospherics that seamlessly brought together the very modern themes and the historic setting. The intimacy of the in-the-round setting of the studio at Hampton Hill Theatre gave the production a mesmerising effect. The only downside being that such a small auditorium means more people will not get to see this seriously entertaining production.

But then maybe I was bewitched.

Polly Davies, September 2026

Photography by Steve Sitton