Wyrd Sisters

Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters

 

A lovely warm welcome greeted me when I attended the performance of Wyrd Sisters by The Idle and Thackley Theatre Group. A good stage performance of Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters with strong comedic chemistry between Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick.

Wyrd Sisters features three witches: Granny Weatherwax played by Julie McGovern; Nanny Ogg, played by Aimee Keenan and Magrat Garlick played by Emma Burton, the junior witch, who firmly believes in occult jewellery, covens, and bubbling cauldrons, much to the annoyance of the other two. The three main witches showed fantastic coven dynamics and characteristics, Granny with sharp, tetchy energy, Nanny Ogg warm, bawdy humour, and Magrat having balanced wide-eyed idealism with nervous charm.

King Verence I of Lancre, played by Carl Murray is murdered by his cousin, Duke Felmet, played by Nick Anderton, after his ambitious wife the Duchess of Lancre played by Helen Ganney persuades him to do so. The King's crown and child are given by an escaping servant to the three witches. The witches hand the child to a troupe of travelling actors and hide the crown in the props box. They acknowledge that destiny will eventually take its course and that the child, Tomjon, will grow up to defeat Duke Felmet and take his rightful place as king.

However, the kingdom is angry about the way the new King is mistreating the land and his subjects. The witches realise that it will be at least 15 years until Tomjon, played by Sophie Clark, is able to return and save the kingdom, but by then irreparable damage will have been done. Granny Weatherwax, with help from the other two witches, manages to cast a spell over the entire kingdom to send it forward in time by 15 years. Meanwhile, the duke has decided to have a play written and performed that portrays him in a favourable light and the witches in a negative light. He thinks this will cause the witches to lose their power, and the people will like him. He sends the court Fool, played by Abbie Clark to Ankh-Morpork to recruit the same acting company that Tomjon was given to, which now resides in the Dysk Theatre on the river Ankh. A standout performance from the court jester with witty philosophical asides and a charming romance with Magrat.

The company make their way to Lancre and perform the play for the King as asked. However, Hwel, played by Tracy Mawson, the playwright, maintains that there is something wrong with the plot of the play, something that just doesn't feel right. The witches cast a spell in the middle of the play that causes the actors to portray the killing of the king truthfully, and the audience sees that the Duke and Duchess are guilty of killing Verence I. Felmet finally succumbs to insanity and stabs several people with a retracting stage dagger, before tripping and falling to his death in the Lancre Gorge. The Duchess is imprisoned but manages to escape, only to be killed by a collection of various forest animals who want revenge for the poor treatment of the land.

Granny Weatherwax explains that Tomjon is the rightful king, and he is due to be crowned. However, Tomjon does not want to be king; he is an extremely talented actor and wishes to continue his career with his adopted father, Vitoller, played by Tili Etta Fawcett. Instead, Granny Weatherwax tells the town that the Fool is in fact the king's son from another mother, and Tomjon's half-brother, and he is crowned King Verence II of Lancre. Later, Granny and Nanny reveal to Magrat that the previous fool is Tomjon’s and Verence II's father. The status of Magrat and Verence II, who have been awkwardly courting throughout the story, is not fully explained at the conclusion.

A great production by Idle and Thackley under the direction of Bob Cochrane with rapid scene transitions, and sharp delivery of its Shakespearean satire. The company kept up the pace and multi rolling with the script featuring over 20 scene changes and a large ensemble, actors doubled up roles efficiently and kept the comic timing crisp.

It was nice to see some of the junior members of the society moving up to take on adult roles. As usual well supported by the local community in what was a challenging production linking Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet. Well Done. 

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