Review by Steve Mackrell for Mark Aspen (April 2024)
Born out of the anger of the 1970’s feminist movement, Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom is a disturbing reminder of the past, and indeed present, oppression of women which, in this play, is exemplified using powerful images of injustice as seen through the lens of a seventeenth century witch-hunt. This ensemble production from YAT (Youth Action Theatre) in the Studio at Hampton Hill Theatre is a stark reminder of a darker past which, for many women, was filled with fear and intimidation.
The play was written by Caryl Churchill for the feminist theatre group Monstrous Regiment and was first performed in 1976. Although set in the past, the issues raised by the play still resonate far beyond the historical setting in its depiction of female subjugation and repression. Churchill reminds us how women who failed to meet the conventions of the day became marginalised and branded as witches – often for little reason other than non-conformity with the prevailing traditions. Hence women not wishing to marry, not wishing to be pregnant, or suffering ill-health or mental illness, would be subject to humiliating investigations by doctors and ultimately by the witch hunter.
Directed with sensitivity by Rowan D’Albert, the pace of this production was brisk with the action moving quickly between the twenty-odd scenes. On entering the studio, arranged in traverse style, and with the audience on three sides, the set was a long narrow dais on which the “devil” and his “victim” were already laid on their backs under an atmospheric billowing gauze. This all helped to create the dark mood of the subsequent plot and provided an eerie sense of foreboding and unease.
The main character is a young village girl Alice, played by Meaghan Baxter, who with her mother Joan (AJ Hill) are accused of witchcraft by their neighbours Jack (Alfie Kennedy) and Margery (Devanshi Kachhawaha), probably out of spite, their marital failure and poverty from the depressed farming economy. Besides which, Alice’s mother owned a cat, Vinegar Tom, a dead giveaway to being a witch!
The male roles were for the most part not given character names, but merely described by their function, such as doctor, bellringer, witchfinder or, simply, just “man.” In fact, the character named “Man” spoke the first line of the play “Am I the devil?” to which the answer, given the nature of his subsequent actions, would seem to be an unequivocal “yes”. Clearly, this was not going to be a good night for the image of the male sex.
Navigation of the main female roles proved more difficult to follow. However, there were a number of fine performances including the suspected witches, Susan, played by Grace Allen, and Betty, played by Lily Campbell Simmons. The Witchfinder’s wife, Goody, played by Bonny Ward, gave an excellent and spell-binding address to the villagers to help justify the virtue of her husband’s profession.
Indeed, the persecution of the female villagers by the males became increasingly harrowing as the play progressed. At times there seemed an over-abundance of female screaming, but then these were horrific scenes of torture. In one memorable scene the male doctor bleeds the arm of Betty in a forlorn bid to rid her of hysteria. Other intimidating scenes followed, with the arrival of the Witchfinder, pricking the skin of suspected witches with a sharp pin to find a body spot immune to pain.
In marked contrast to the unremitting scenes of female subjugation, was the welcome introduction of a number of songs, but with contemporary lyrics. The actors changed into modern dress to perform the songs, allowing them to take a modern sideways glance at the narrative. The quick changes from billowing skirts to modern t-shirts, emblazoned with modern slogans like GRL PWR, were masterly executed. Perhaps the most enjoyable song was If Everybody Worked as Hard as Me performed by Robyn Marriot. More poignantly, the song If you Float, described the ultimate witch test – “if you float you’re a witch, if you sink then you’re dead anyway.” The most touching song was the haunting Lament for Witches, which followed Alice’s final vengeful speech extolling “I’d make wax men and melt them on a slow fire”. The lyric of this final song, turns the bigotry of yesteryear into a question for today, with a thought provoking “look in the mirror tonight, would they have hanged you then?”
The play’s final scene comes as a total surprise with the introduction of two new characters – Kramer and Sprenger (Gio Nickson and Alfie Kennedy again) – German professors of theology and authors of the then highly regarded treatise on the evils of witchcraft Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches). Dressed like music hall entertainers with top hat and tails, they perform the final song Evil Woman preceded by a whimsical epilogue in which they explain why witches are usually female and rarely male. Their arguments were based on three now ironic assumptions. First, we hear that a woman is “more credulous and open to attack from the devil”, secondly that “women are more impressionable” and thirdly, “women have slippery tongues unable to conceal their evil art from other women.” And, if that’s not enough proof, remember “women are feebler in both body and mind.” So, there’s a bit of controversy to discuss!
Overall, this was a solid production, well executed and full of mean and moody lighting with effective sound effects such as dramatic background whispering, meowing cats and mooing cows. Standout performances included Meaghan Baxter’s Alice, as the innocent girl still holding onto her dreams, and Robyn Marriot’s Ellen, “the cunning woman” whose potions act as the local apothecary. Gio Nickson showed great versatility in covering four roles, including the Devil as well as the Witchfinder, and Alfie Kennedy made an excellent accuser as Jack. However, it was their final and unexpected “song and dance” routine that still lingers in my mind.
This is a play that sucks the audience into a horrific narrative, filling us with rage and an anger of injustice. There is much challenging content and a reminder that even today there still lurk shadows of male arrogance with issues of female inequality still prevalent. A timely reminder of social intolerance and many congratulations must go to the YAT for presenting such a provocative production. Powerful and deeply moving.
Originally published at Vinegar Tom | Mark Aspen
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