Plymouth Theatre Review

Easy to Follow: 4

Family Friendly: 3.5

Must see: 4.5

Title: The Witching Hour

Venue: Barbican Theatre Company

Date: 7^th June 2025

The Young Rebels Theatre company has conjured up something bold, bizarre and blisteringly relevant in ‘The Witching Hour’, a darkly comic dive into justice, performance and public opinion gone rogue. Created by Plymouth’s Barbican Theatre’s ReBels Young Theatre company – a initiative supporting local emerging creatives aged 18-25 – this original production is both a high energy spectacle and a stinging critique of a culture obsessed with image and drama. 

Set in a warped world where witch trials are played out under the modern glare of the studio lights and applause signs, the show reimagines persecution as prime-time entertainment. It’s part 18^th century hysteria, part reality TV madness – a space where broomsticks and pentagrams meet catchphrases and commercial breaks and wouldn’t be out of place as an episode plot of popular TV show Black Mirror.

Leading the charge is Toby McLellen as game show host Chris Hopkins, a smooth-talking master of ceremonies with a distinct taste for power and high ratings. Behind his winning grin and showtime personality is a dark manipulative streak that drives the shows escalating cruelty. Mclellen captures this unsettling mix of charm and menace with sharp control. Meg Sharland portrays a contestant on the show, a character who begins as sceptical and somewhat guarded, but soon finds herself caught in the spiralling game of survival where truth and performance often blur. Sharland brings real vulnerability to her role, showing the toll of being judged not for true guilt or innocence but for likability and narrative appeal. Adding extra chaos to this bubbling cauldron are Rose Williams and Jamie Simpson, who shift between characters with explosive energy. Whether playing overbearing producers or outlandish sidekicks, they inject an almost manic humour that lifts the scenes while also serving to highlight the absurdity of the world playing out on stage. Their transformations are fast paced, physical and wickedly funny.

The writing, devised by the company and led by Connor Webster and Flo Limb, doesn’t pull any punches. Rather than pointing fingers or offering the easy answers (as it would be so easy to do with this subject matter) the script instead builds a world that feels dangerously close to our own, where entertainment value trumps ethics and humanity and public shaming is just another form of public engagement and entertainment. It’s satire with a sharp edge, but delivered with enough laughter, nuance and colour to keep you on the hook and on your toes. 

The sensory overload is intentional and effective, creating a space that feels chaotic, claustrophobic and impossibly to escape. Beneath the sparkle of studio setting there is a creeping sense of dread that builds with each round of the game. Where this show really succeeds is in the way it implicates the audience. We are encouraged to laugh, cheer and judge along with the in world crown watching the trial. As the spectacle gains traction and intensifies, it becomes harder to separate entertainment from cruelty and the result is both deeply thrilling and uncomfortable upon further inspection. There were occasional moments when the shows pace wobbles or a joke didn’t fully land, a few scenes felt underdeveloped compared to others and could have dived a little deeper into to the emotional and political weight of whats being explored, but these are minor observations in a production that overall feels ambitious, confident and undeniably relevant and timely. 

‘The Witching Hour’ is more than just a clever piece of theatre – it’s a warning wrapped in glitter. It asks what happens when our desire to be seen, to be liked and to be entertained overrides the desire for empathy and truth. Perhaps even more unsettling, it suggests we are already living in a watered down version of this world. For a company made up of early career artists, this is a fearless piece of work. ReBels Young Company have shown not just skill and creativity but a willingness to take real risks with their work – and it certainly pays off. A sharp, surreal and hauntingly fun ride, you can catch this show on tour over the summer where the company will be travelling across the UK with a second chance to catch this back in their hometown of Plymouth on 2^nd August.