After Midnight Before Dawn

This one act play was intriguing, getting under the skin of six women in the 17th century, who had been condemned to death for being witches.

It was very cleverly written, and some glimpses of the torture used to make suspected witches confess to all manner of things, was chilling, and I found it so sad that the beliefs of some people in high positions brought such misery to the lower classes.

Chloe White had used a compact staging that kept the action well within your vision, it represented a cell, and was very evocative, with straw on the floor, and excellent lighting. There were a couple of places where I would have liked to see slightly more of the characters faces, but on the whole it helped create a very sinister feel.  The music and sound effects also added to the haunting feel of the piece.

The play was well cast, with no weak links. Each character held true, but at times I felt the emotions were getting in the way of clear diction.

Gemma Palmer created a good Calm Woman, although at times I would have liked even more sinister meaning, as she incited the other women to sell their souls to the devil. The mayhem that she invoked was quite exciting in a disturbing way.

Susie Conder created an excellent Angry Woman, trying to keep a level head but showing her increasing anger over the situation, among the others gradually getting more hysterical and frightened.  It was interesting that this character was the first to crack, and commit murder.  Very well accomplished, and nice to see Susie back on stage.

Jess Lacey created a charming Simple Woman who was very naive, and didn't really understand what was happening. A very telling portrayal.

I liked Evie Wright's interpretation of the Young Woman, good to see her doing something serious, just watch the diction from time to time, but very well achieved.

Sarah Benjamin as the Old Woman kept her characterisation going so well, her continual droning of the Lord's Prayer, and her confusion was very palpable, a super interpretation.

Jenna Kay completed the line up as Neat Woman.  A well-rounded performance, perhaps a little more understated than the other characters, but creating a more normal person within the increasingly frantic happenings.

The part where the Women were inciting the Devil got a little too frenetic, but was well-managed by the cast on the whole, and the final part where everything went to murder and the downfall of the Women was very good.

I must admit the audience were a little confused as to whether the play had ended or not, but once we decided it had, the bows were excellent, and everything I wanted from the play.

Not my favourite play or subject, but well done, and interesting with good performances.

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