Review by Rosie Holmes
⭐️⭐️
Now haunting London’s Bridewell Theatre, The Witching Hour attempts to conjure up some theatrical magic and terror in the heart of the city. Exploring themes of witchcraft, mob mentality and female oppression this is a show that has a lot to say, but would it leave its audience spellbound?
Opening the show, Professor DuBois gives a lecture on witchcraft and folklore, a young student raises their hands to ask a question and ends up learning of a persecuted woman, Elspeth Langford and the recurring disappearance of young women in the Torhill area. Keen to find out more, she heads out to investigate with brother, Sam. Her research is underpinned by questions surrounding mob mentality and the suppression of women, and student, Erin is yearning to uncover the truth behind Elspeth’s story.
Thus, Erin and brother Sam head out to camp in the woods, in the shadows of Elspeth’s long abandoned cottage, with its creaky doors and witches’ marks surrounding it. Unfortunately, this is where the story loses a bit of emphasis. Clearly, a lover of the horror genre, writer and director James Williams crams in almost every trope associated with this type of storytelling. Creepy woods, creaky doors, thunderstorms, and that is all before the interval. It seems a shame, however, as the angle from which the story is told is extremely interesting and has the potential to powerfully underpin the story – that being the oppression of women and witch hunts as a physical manifestation of ignorance and societal patriarchy. It is therefore disappointing that the plot begins to fall apart with the repetitive add-on of multiple twists and turns (some more predictable than others) and a loss of all believability and logic. For example, a heart-to-heart between siblings regarding the domestic abuse suffered by their mother loses much of its impact due to its placement in a scene full of danger.
The cast works well with what they have been given, Erin, played by Jessica Porter, is, unfortunately, a fairly one-dimensional caricature of what I imagine a man would see a young student feminist to be. However, Porter gives Erin some attitude and makes her more likable than perhaps the script does. Saul Blache is brother Sam and adds breezy humour to the show, displaying wonderful chemistry with his sister. Eleanor May Blackburn plays the woman accused, Elspeth Langford and whilst some of her performance is chilling in places, she is unfortunately let down by the direction of the play.
Unlike other plays of a similar genre that are more subtle and secretive in their cast lists, (if you have seen The Woman in Black you will know what I mean), The Witching Hour is not. We know from the outset we will see the ghost of Elspeth Langford and this does prevent an element of surprise. From the building of tension and some eeriness, we are plunged into more hysterical horror with screaming and flailing, which does lessen the impact of some of the show’s headier themes.
However, despite the small size of the theatre, the set is impressive, design by Alex Johnson creates Elspeth’s cottage, the woods, and some impressive traps. The clever design within the cottage allows us a window into the 1600s. Coupled with some effective lighting and shadow play, the effect is impressive. Sound design by Dan Clarkson is instrumental in tension-building scenes and often made me jump more than the action on the stage itself.
The Witching Hour at Bridewell Theatre does attempt to conjure an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue but ultimately falls short of casting a lasting spell. Unfortunately, the use of explicit horror, whilst often entertaining may well be suited more to an attraction such as London Dungeons than a strong narrative play. There is plenty of promise here and some interesting ideas at play, with a fabulous set providing the backdrop, unfortunately, a few too many plotlines lessen the impact of the piece’s potentially powerful themes.
The Witching Hour played at Bridewell Theatre until 20th July 2024, more information here- https://sbf.org.uk/whats-on/view/the-witching-hour/