New play is to come to Harrogate inspired by 18th century Leeds witch and BBC comedy Fleabag
Harrogate is to play host to a new play from Leeds theatre company Brave Words exploring the incredible story of the rise and fall of the Yorkshire Witch.
Inspired by the real-life saga of Mary Bateman, aka the Yorkshire Witch, who was executed at York Castle in 1809, Brave Words’ artistic director Chris Singleton came up with MUTTON.
A dark comedy-drama inspired by Fleabag, the League of Gentlemen and Brassic; MUTTON is firmly rooted in the North and its people’s struggles.
The real Mary Bateman’s career of crime as a a con artist in Leeds in the late 1780s included fake identities, magic charms, poisoned pudding, a holy hen, drunk watchmen and, of course, a freshly-shaved leg of mutton.
Chris Singleton said: ““When I heard about Mary, I was immediately captivated.
"The audacity of a woman pretending her pet hen could predict the end of the world.
"In the early 1800s, people were living in poverty.
"They were scared by the rapid development of new technology.
"Mary’s witchcraft promised them a better life and offered them power and protection.
"People believed in her because they were desperate.”
MUTTON has been made by a female-led team, with director Lucy Campbell at the helm.
Lucy Campbell said: "I’m very excited to be bringing our version of Mary’s story to audiences across Leeds and Yorkshire.
“For me, it’s a story that is both contemporary and historical, a story about how women fight to thrive and survive in a patriarchal world.
Funded by Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Grants and Leeds City Council, MUTTON will open in Leeds on Thursday, November 13 with several performances in Yorkshire, including two in Harrogate at West Park United Reform Church on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15.
The majority of performances of MUTTON will be pay-what-you-can, in line with Brave Words’ ethos of making professional theatre accessible for all.
All performances will be captioned via The Difference Engine, a tool that enables deaf and hard-of-hearing people to read performance captions on their phone.
To book a seat for performances of MUTTON in Harrogate, visit: https://www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk/events/mutton/