Natasha Rickman's production of THE MANNINGTREE WITCHES is a five star hit at Colchester Mercury Theatre
Based on the novel by A. K. Blakemore, the gripping historical drama is a fiercely modern exploration of fear, control, and what happens when women’s voices are silenced. Following 17-year-old Rebecca West in 1643 Essex, The Manningtree Witches tells the true story of England’s first Witchfinder General and wrenches the women he killed out from the shadows of history and into the spotlight.
“It does not matter what is true, or not true. All that matters is what is written down.”
Essex, 1643. A country divided. A town on its knees. A teenage girl with a dangerous secret.
As the Civil War rages on, in the quiet town of Manningtree, most of the men have gone off to fight. 17-year-old Rebecca West is like any teenager, brimming with self-doubt, consumed with unrequited love, and in a never-ending cycle of arguments with her mother. As food runs out, and more men leave, Rebecca and her best friend Judith wait for something, anything to happen in Manningtree.
But change is coming. When the mysterious Matthew Hopkins buys a pub, he brings questions. What does a young man like Matthew want with a town like Manningtree? Why has he come? And why is he so interested in Rebecca? But when an incident between Rebecca’s mother and a local boy plunges the town into discord, those questions are answered with horrifying frenzy.
