Paul T Davies reviews Prick by Laurie Flanigan Heggie at the Space On The Mile presented as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Prick

Space on the Mile, Edinburgh Fringe

3 Stars

Book Tickets

This new play by Laurie Flanigan Heggie gives voice to the nearly 4000 wrongly accused people of the Scottish Witch trails, 84% of whom were women. Based on three women who were accused, this Napier University production is well researched and economically and effectively staged, but is slightly too long with a couple of unnecessary scenes, with some areas working more successfully than others.

It's a good cast, with effective doubling up and they work well as a team. David Clarkson is a convincing farmer whose wife becomes accused. Ewan Jardine is particularly strong as King James, and the women, Abigail McDonald, Lisa McIntyre and Carys Turner, form a strong sisterhood. Lev Siegal provides sinister comic relief and the play is smoothly directed by Maggie Greivell.

The use of a modern, television approach to some of the scenes is a clumsy way to provide exposition and jolts us out of some effective scenes, and the circling crows become repetitive. That said, it leads to a finely crafted final scene that brings home the misogyny and becomes horribly relevant.