Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters, adapted for stage by Stephen Briggs, has an appealing story with loads of clever allusions to Shakespeare, fairy tales and, if you want to see it that way, modern politics. Its humour is idiosyncratically, mischievously wicked.

The sisters are witches, the youngest just out of her apprenticeship and naively idealistic, while the other two are older, comfortably cynical and pragmatic. It falls to them to restore legitimate rule to a kingdom now occupied by a pair of murderous usurpers. [More]

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Sofie Welvaert’s production of this crazy mixed-up fairy tale about the power of words is detailed, fast-moving, full of nonsense, and performed by a cast which takes hold of the characters and gives them all they’ve got.  

The first act of the play zings along. The second is a bit more chaotic as it throws together a play about the play we’re watching – we’re often simultaneously backstage and in the audience – but continues to hold our attention.

Welvaert does very well in presenting this full-on production in her debut as a director.

Brenda Jones as the matriarchal witch, Granny Weatherwax, commands the stage from the moment she walks on in the first scene, and we’re left in no doubt that the country’s ‘destiny’ is very much in her hands. She brings a wonderful dry tone and excellent timing to her lines.

Nanny Ogg, played by Sandy Clearly, is much more of a granny type, though she smokes and drinks and gets herself put in the stocks, and the third younger and less experienced witch, Magrat Garlick, is played by Kimberley Buchan with verve and energy and enthusiasm. She’s a delight.

These three do quite a bit of ‘meddling’ during the course of the play in order to bring the land back to peace. This is needed because the King on the throne is a usurper: he’s murdered his cousin, the rightful King – echoes of Hamlet – and spends most of his time trying to get his hands clean of the blood – echoes of Macbeth (Shakespeare’s lines and plots permeate the play).

Sam Ogden plays King Leonal in a kind of manic fashion, never still for more than a few seconds, and gabbling his lines like someone possessed of considerable guilt – which he is. His wife, played by Helen Fearnley, is the schemer; she was behind the murder, in fact. Fearnley makes a strong antagonist, and gives Brenda Jones a run for her money.

Brook Bray is a great hit as the Fool in typical jester’s garb, and managed the gradual and unintentional loss of bells from his costume with aplomb. This role suits him to the ground, and his scenes with Magrat, with whom he’s fallen in love, are a delight.

The only other actor playing a single role is Joseph Cecchi, who plays the ghost of the murdered king. He’s a little melodramatic for a ghost, but then you might say the same thing about Hamlet’s father.

The remainder of the cast whiz through umpteen roles between them, bringing enough characterisation to their parts to make us aware when they’re playing someone different. I particularly like Laura Wells in her brief appearance as an almost cartoonish guard (she turns up later as ‘Shakespeare’ in all but name), and Edward Matthews makes the most of his somewhat insubordinate Sergeant.

The rest of the cast in this Community Theatre Production are Alison Cowan, David Thomson, Thomas Makinson, Aston Arnott, Courtney Power and Gretel Newman-Sugrue.

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