An unsettling but predictable dramatisation of the origins of the Witchfinder General, Deliver Us From Evil is passionate but in need of some polish.Rating
OK
A witch-hunt makes for a good story. In a literal sense, of course, but also in the way we use the term colloquially to mean a kind of publicised harassment. Tempers flare, strong opinions rise seemingly from nowhere, and sometimes no one wins; everyone loses. We don’t have to fear real witch hunts now, as we know enough about the world to not have to fear real witches. But, once upon a time, people did, and those stories are often brought back as cautionary tales.
One such story is Deliver Us From Evil, playing as part of the Camden Fringe at a reclaimed and no longer derelict City of London swimming pool, now Bridewell Theatre. Written by KS Norris and presented by Khaos Productions, it tells a quite familiar story of a woman accused of witchcraft in 1600s England, who is unfairly and horribly treated to elicit a confession. Set in the town of Manningtree, Essex, the main characters involved are the accused, Elizabeth Clarke (Anastasia Babich), John Stearne (Rob Wallis), who has been commissioned to find the witch, and keen young witch hunter Matthew Hopkins (Finton McCluskey).
They are joined by fellow cast members Nika Kamaeva, playing dedicated accuser Mary Norman, and Emily Fellows as Hopkins’ widowed mother, Marie. The cast perform passionately, bringing the elements of terror and fear across throughout. The softer moments, however, could use a bit of polish and a slight injection of personality to help carry the narrative. Slow direction from co-directors KS Norris and Davy Tennison means some portrayal and nuance does not reach its full potential.
Pulling the story and drama together, though, does create an effective atmosphere. An unsettling vibe was held together largely by a sparse but eerie set from Florence Eadie and underscoring by Finn Weston. Sometimes, however, the feel of history becomes a bit overbearing, with some clunky use of historical language, such as “thou” and “thee.” I wasn’t sure this was always accurate or necessary.
The eagle-eyed among us might even realise that the character Matthew Hopkins of Manningtree is the real historical figure who styled himself Witchfinder General. Stearne and Clarke are also gathered from the history books, and Deliver Us From Evil is, in fact, a fictionalised dramatisation of real events. I will admit that I didn’t know any of these names before the performance and had to be told about the connection to history after the play finished. I imagine I’m not alone in this, and wonder if a brief mention of the play being based on historical events online or in programme notes would help the story carry weight.
A sense of a shift in narrative feels necessary, as I felt the focal point of the story was Clarke, rather than Hopkins. Deliver Us From Evil has the potential to be a reclamation of a moment in history; doing what Six did for the wives of Henry VIII, Norris’ play has so much to work with, and with some refining has a good future ahead of it.
Written by: KS Norris
Directed by: KS Norris and Davy Tennison
Produced by: Khaos Productions
Set by: Florence Eadie
Music by: Finn Weston
Deliver Us From Evil plays at the Bridewell Theatre as part of the Camden Fringe until Thursday 6 August
