The Ungodly, Southwark Playhouse Borough Review
Photo by Bernie Totten
Reviewed by Charlotte for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Joanna Carrick’s ‘meticulously researched’ new drama The Ungodly takes its inspiration from the Manningtree witch trial, a rather infamous event in the canon of Puritan-era witch hysteria. Indeed both the Manningtree witches and ‘witchfinder general’ Matthew Hopkins have been the subject of numerous plays, films, and novels for years. Carrick’s take on the tale is an intimate affair, almost a parlour drama (though with a higher than average body count) and centres Susan Edwards, a bright young wife who has tragically lost four children in their infancy. The entire first act, in fact, focuses on the relationship between Susan and husband Richard as they grapple with their grief and look to their own sins to make sense of such loss. Enter Matthew Hopkins, an extremely pious and otherwise unsuspecting young man whom Richard lends funding to for the refurbishment of a local ale house. Hopkins, however, is not interested in running a pub, he is seduced by the preaching of the lecturer on the evils of women, and quickly finds reason to believe the Edwards’ losses were not the will of God but rather of the Devil.
There is not much about The Ungodly’s composition that inspires comment, and that is perhaps its greatest fault. The Edwards’ love is thoughtfully developed, and the haunting progression of their desperation is engaging to watch, even as their shift from complete disbelief in Hopkins’ rhetoric to bloodthirsty agreement feels in parts too abrupt to completely buy in to. The main issue that keeps The Ungodly from making a strong impression is that it has been done before–exactly this story in exactly this way. Faithful as her research may be, Carrick doesn’t attempt to make any new interventions into the material, and therefore leaves it feeling tired to anyone who has encountered this genre before. And let’s face it, that’s most of us. We are as intrigued by witches today, it seems, as we were hundreds of years ago.
While similarly recognisable, the design by Katy Latham is still well executed, astutely and economically conveying the dark and rural sense of place. Nadia Jackson’s performance also manages to stand out from the material. Her portrayal of Susan is real and raw, a woman who, even in the confines of Puritan thought, has voice and resonance. Vincent Moisy for his part plays Hopkins with a cartoonish villainy which, while fun at times, detracts from the realism and vitriol of the rest of the piece.
Overall, The Ungodly is a fine drama, and if you enjoy a classic, even formulaic, witch hunt, it is almost certain to satisfy. For those looking for a new perspective on such tales, though, it has little to offer. Nonetheless, Carrick presents a piece that is suitably dark and chilling for the time of year. It may not offer much that hasn’t been seen before, but it is still an enjoyable and sobering glance into the misogynist fear mongering of the seventeenth century–a reminder that unfortunately endures in its relevance.
At Southwark Playhouse until 16 November 2024
★ ★ ★
