Accessibility Review of Ava Pickett‘s ‘The Manningtree Witches’

/ thevicritic

Hi everyone and welcome to another review! The first one of 2026! Which means we are back at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester for The Manningtree Witches, their first original production of the year!

The show takes place in the 1640s, when the prosecution of witches and witchcraft was widespread, headed by the ‘Witchfinder General’, Matthew Hopkins.

Set in Essex in 1643, in Manningtree, Matthew Hopkins comes into the town after buying a local inn. But rumours start circulating about a certain group of women and their families. Filled with nothing but speculation, these women and their families have to fight for their lives. But has their fate already been sealed?

This local play, written by local playwright Ava Pickett and adapted from the book of the same name by A. K. Blakemore, becomes a gripping story from start to finish, filled with backstabbing, malicious prosecution, but also love and a hint of comedy.

All the cast gave absolutely fabulous performances! However, I felt Lucy Mangan (Rebecca West), Gina Isaac (Anne West) and Sam Mitchell (Matthew Hopkins) really stood out for me. Lucy did a phenomenal job conveying emotion and feeling within the character of Rebecca, as well as alongside Gina, as they both portrayed a strong mother–daughter relationship.

Sam Mitchell also did a great job as Matthew Hopkins, brilliantly demonstrating that even well-meaning and deeply focused people—especially those who believe they are acting according to “God’s will”—are not always right.

A theater stage scene with a group of people seated in chairs facing a standing speaker under dramatic lighting and fog. The setting looks like a period play: many people wear old-fashioned clothing such as bonnets, shawls, long dresses, and wide-brimmed hats. The speaker stands slightly elevated near the center-left, wearing a long dark coat and light shirt, with long hair, as if addressing the seated group. A strong spotlight shines down from above onto the speaker, and additional bright stage lights from the right create heavy haze and smoke across the scene. The floor is wooden planks, and the audience on stage sits in several rows of mismatched wooden chairs. A large textured element hangs overhead, resembling a thatched or straw ceiling piece, adding to the rustic atmosphere.

This production has a strong sense of local heritage. Being from the Essex area myself, it really touched a part of me. You could truly feel the emotion that these women went through during this time, but you could also feel the strong community spirit that, deep down, they all had for one another.

This is a very dark show, both in theme and lighting. The simple lighting and set design made you, as the audience, really focus on the story the company were successfully trying to tell. However, this did mean I struggled to see certain parts of the show, especially when the lighting became harsher than it already was. There were also moments of very harsh flashes of bright lighting, which were clearly designed to shock the audience. Sadly, as a result, this made it difficult to understand the scene that was happening, as I had to let my eyes readjust each time this occurred.

As a result, this might be a show that some people struggle with. I was sitting in Row E of the theatre, so I was directly in the eyeline of these bright lights. If this is something that might bother you, I would suggest sitting a few rows further back. However, if you need to be as close as possible in order to see, this is something worth bearing in mind.

Don’t let this completely put you off, however, as there are a range of accessible performances available, from Audio Description with a Touch Tour to a relaxed performance too.

A theater stage scene with a man standing in the center foreground under warm spotlighting, and several women seated on tiered wooden steps behind him. The man has light skin and long dark wavy hair, and wears a long dark coat with a wide white collar and tall dark boots. He is facing forward with a serious expression and holding a small object in both hands at waist level. Behind him, women in muted, old-fashioned dresses and head coverings sit or lean on the steps, spaced across the background. The stage floor is wooden, and the back of the stage is dark with haze or smoke catching the light.

If you have no useful vision: I would of course recommend the Audio Described performance with the Touch Tour, as this gives a better understanding of what you might miss visually from the show. However, as the set and stage lighting are very minimal and the story is very dialogue-driven from beginning to end, I feel that even without the Audio Description you would still be able to follow the play very well. The only scene you might miss visually is a very realistic death scene towards the latter end of the show.

If you have some useful vision: There is not much more I can add here that I haven’t already said above.

The Manningtree Witches is a play that is both engrossing and riveting, and is definitely a must-see!

The Manningtree Witches, adapted and written by Ava Pickett, is running at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester from 5th March until 14th March 2026. Unfortunately, tickets for this particular run are sold out. However, I have been assured by the theatre that if you would like to check whether any returns become available and be added to the waiting list, you can get in touch with them directly. Details can be found on the Mercury Theatre website by clicking the link here.

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic

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