Featured on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, Scratchworks, who are Barbican Theatre Thrive Associates, returns to Plymouth with the next instalment of their historical comedy trilogy, Hags: A Magical Extravaganza. Packed full of magic tricks, physical comedy & live music, Hags explores 17th century witch-hunt mania that swept across Britain and sent hundreds of innocent women to the gallows.

In Bideford in 1682, the final witch trial in England took place. Three women were accused of witchcraft, tried & hanged.

Now fast forward to the present day and name one female magician…pretty tricky. But tonight, three fearless females are climbing out of their boxes, shaking off the sequins and investigating what really happened in a small town in North Devon 300 years ago. With mind-blowing illusions, stupendous stunts and the occasional disappearing rabbit, ‘Hags’ sets the record straight for thousands of falsely accused women with all the joy, silliness & spectacle these three magicians can muster.

Hags was commissioned by Beaford’s Made in Devon Fund and is also supported by Arts Council England & Barbican Theatre Plymouth.

Siân Keen, Co-Artistic Director of Scratchworks Theatre Company says

“HAGS is a magical retelling of Devon’s dark history which explores the absurdity of witch hunt mania. We blend magic tricks with storytelling and beautiful folk music with 80s synth pop.” 

HAGS is premiered at Barbican Theatre on Saturday 14 March and has already sold out.

Barbican Theatre’s Creative Producer, Dan Baker says

“To have the first ever performance of HAGS take place at Barbican Theatre is really exciting, and selling out so far in advance shows just how well-loved Scratchworks are by Plymouth audiences. As one of our Thrive Associates, we’re delighted to see Scratchworks making work high-quality work locally – we can’t wait to present their work later this month.”

Barbican Theatre have a variety of theatre, comedy, music, dance and spoken word performances on their Barbican stage and at the larger Plymouth Athenaeum stage this spring. More details here