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About
'It does not matter what is true, or not true. All that matters is what is written down.'
Essex, 1643. In the quiet town of Manningtree, most of the men have gone to fight in the Civil War. With food running out and boredom setting in, seventeen-year-old Rebecca West longs for something, anything to happen.
When a tragic incident involving a local boy coincides with the arrival of the mysterious Matthew Hopkins, the town is plunged into discord. As suspicion and fear take root, Rebecca finds her own girlhood weaponised against her – and is forced to make a devastating choice.
The Manningtree Witches is a thrilling and fierce exploration of fear, control and what happens when women's voices are silenced. A. K. Blakemore's novel was a Sunday Times Book of the Year, winner of the Desmond Elliot Prize and shortlisted for the Costa Debut and Ondaatje Prizes. This stage adaptation by Ava Pickett was first performed at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, in 2026, produced in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions and directed by Natasha Rickman.
Essex, 1643. In the quiet town of Manningtree, most of the men have gone to fight in the Civil War. With food running out and boredom setting in, seventeen-year-old Rebecca West longs for something, anything to happen.
When a tragic incident involving a local boy coincides with the arrival of the mysterious Matthew Hopkins, the town is plunged into discord. As suspicion and fear take root, Rebecca finds her own girlhood weaponised against her – and is forced to make a devastating choice.
The Manningtree Witches is a thrilling and fierce exploration of fear, control and what happens when women's voices are silenced. A. K. Blakemore's novel was a Sunday Times Book of the Year, winner of the Desmond Elliot Prize and shortlisted for the Costa Debut and Ondaatje Prizes. This stage adaptation by Ava Pickett was first performed at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, in 2026, produced in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions and directed by Natasha Rickman.
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Reviews
"'Funny, profane and bolshie... a whiplash of a play'"
Guardian
"'Thrillingly fresh and filthy... Ava Pickett is the playwright of the moment'"
Telegraph
"'A thrilling historical drama... deeply moving and gutsy... a fiercely modern exploration of fear, control, misogyny and what happens when women's voices are silenced... Pickett's fluid and earthy dialogue brings Manningtree of 1643 to life... It's not for the faint-hearted, but it makes for riveting theatre'"
WhatsOnStage
"'An absolute standout piece of theatre. Creepy, compelling and deeply absorbing'"
Theatre & Tonic
Extended Details
- SeriesNHB Modern Plays