Following their hit show ‘Enter The Dragons’ A&E Theatre return to the Edinburgh Fringe with a “one woman show with a twist”....a cautionary tale by two coven-ready very weird sisters, asking who in actual fact holds the power in a world where witches are now hunting their original predators (or something like that!) Make no mistake, this is one of the more bizarre hours you will spend at the Fringe. It is also very clever, and extremely funny.
We are introduced to the two hags with hideous teeth slowly revealing their totally ridiculously claw-like, oversized hands, “We are the soothsayers, the clairvoyants” they boom out to the audience before entering ‘The Woods’ as a polka dancing duo that is Hansel and Gretel. The banter continues as Gretel is forced to find her own way down the “girls’ path of brambles and dog s***” having extracted the “magic bean” from the bowels of a grizzly puppet monster”. Finally Gretel is lost and transformed into a helpless Barbie doll at the mercy of the big bad wolf, who hilariously enters (with a huge furry ‘package’) to Duran Duran blasting across the small auditorium,...suggestively tantalising the audience with such statements as “there’s going to be a party in my mouth….who wants to come?”
By now Gretel has metamorphosed into a latex-wearing robot with huge pointed squirting boobs, continuing down her ‘woman’s path’ calling everyone ‘John’ as she approaches audience members to ‘appreciate’ her feminine qualities delivered in machine-like monotones. She marries a Lord (apparently) and we are taken swiftly to the ‘Roy’ Castle and treated to an utterly ludicrous ‘Salon’ performance of poetry and song, culminating in the playing of a cello-like saw that vibrates provocatively. The ‘Witching Hour’ ensues involving 2 naked puppets - one the embodiment of a doll-like female stereotype, and the other the complete opposite. We are told that “fear is everywhere ...Taliban! Isis! Midlife Crisis!”, followed by a very rude magic show, and a Salem-esque witch-trial of ‘Abigail Dooley’.
Witch-Hunt is one of the most outlandish, bizarre and risqué shows I have seen. It is also unique, totally original and in many ways both brilliantly conceived and executed by the two extremely talented, out-of-the-box performers; standing out from the multitude of other shows on offer at the Edinburgh Fringe. It is hilariously funny and carries with it the important political message of how the concept of witch hunting is about taking away any power that women are perceived to have - as of course explored by Arthur Miller in his highly regarded and widely performed play ‘The Crucible’. At the end of the show we are told - very thought-provokingly to face our fears…”find that instinctive voice inside; SWITCH ON YOUR WITCH!”
While Witch Hunt is definitely not for everyone, if you like your shows on the off-beat, ridiculous side - as a method of actually saying some really important things about the frankly messed-up world we live in - then this is the show for you.
Witch Hunt plays at The Pleasance - Jack Dome - until August 26th.
Reviewer - Georgina Elliott
on - 8/8/19
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