The Manningtree Witches by A K Blakemore

The Manningtree Witches by A K Blakemore

'It does not matter what is true, or not true. All that matters is what is written down.' 

Essex, 1643. In the quiet town of Manningtree, most of the men have gone to fight in the Civil War. With food running out and boredom setting in, seventeen-year-old Rebecca West longs for something, anything to happen.

When a tragic incident involving a local boy coincides with the arrival of the mysterious Matthew Hopkins, the town is plunged into discord. As suspicion and fear take root, Rebecca finds her own girlhood weaponised against her – and is forced to make a devastating choice.

The Manningtree Witches is a thrilling and fierce exploration of fear, control and what happens when women's voices are silenced. A. K. Blakemore's novel was a Sunday Times Book of the Year, winner of the Desmond Elliot Prize and shortlisted for the Costa Debut and Ondaatje Prizes. This stage adaptation by Ava Pickett was first performed at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, in 2026, produced in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions and directed by Natasha Rickman.

Ava Pickett's other plays include 1536, which was awarded the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and saw her named Best Writer at the 2024 Stage Debut Awards.