Writer Joanna Carrick brings her play The Ungodly, which tells the origin story of the witch hunts, which spread through England and America from 1645, to Southwark Playhouse.
It’s a story set in a fractured and polarised society, a tale that reverberates down the centuries to the world of today.
Where: Southwark Playhouse Borough, Little
When: to 17 Nov
Ticket link: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/
The Ungodly is the story of witchhunts and paranoia from the 17th century on. Where did the idea for the play come from?
I am fascinated with religious history and fanatical beliefs. Being from East Anglia, these witch-hunts are a local story with global significance.
Matthew Hopkins has been presented in the past as a kind of villainous bogey-man, and I wanted to get beyond that and tell the human story of what really happened and why.
With clear contemporary resonance, it seems apt that this run coincides with the US presidential election,a campaign that has been characterised by mistrust and hysteria. Was this deliberate or coincidental?
Coincidental, although the profound parallels between modern life and these historical events are hard to ignore.
The play vividly illustrates the dangers in believing that you are absolutely right. It draws parallels with polarisation in society, cancel culture, and provokes discussion around modern puritanism and free speech.
Plays have used the topic of witchcraft and persecution to comment on present events before, notably The Crucible. Were you influenced by any stage productions of the past?
Of course I know The Crucible well and have immense respect for Arthur Miller, but it is important to me to put the research and the characters at the forefront of creating a new play rather than using other dramatic representations. In fact I avoid all fiction about the subject and focus on the history.
You put Susan Edwards centre stage, a step-relation of the notorious Matthew Hopkins. Her story puts a new light on the history behind the persecution of women who were ‘different’. Was it easy to research her life?
It was fascinating. First, there was the massive task of researching the age in which she lived and understanding the beliefs and preoccupations of the times as well as understanding the challenges of everyday life for a woman in her position.
Then there was the primary source history, including the testimonies from the trials and very excitingly the church records, which proved her relationship with Hopkins, her marriage, and the dates of her children’s births and deaths.
Building this picture of her character took a long time but was immensely enjoyable and rewarding.
Do you believe there is such a thing as witchcraft, whether for good or evil?
I certainly believe that in the 17th century, people believed in witchcraft implicitly. I would hate to completely deny the possibility of magic but witchcraft as it is spoken about in the play was the product of people’s fears and their desire to explain events for which they could find no reason.
What’s next for The Ungodly after the London run?
We are very excited that The Ungodly is transferring Off-Broadway next Spring.
Photo credit: Bernie Totten