13/09/2024 Dundee Fringe
The lights dim. A woman runs on stage pleading for her life. She’s been accused of witchcraft. She must die. Anyone could be a witch.
This is HELLCATS, a production by feminist theatre company Menstrual Rage.
I had the delight of going to watch the show at the Dundee Fringe and wow. There are only good things to say. HELLCATS is set in 17th Century England, an era of confusion and terror with ongoing witch trials.
While they are a feminist theatre company, Menstrual Rage strongly demonstrates that sexism affects all demographics, touching on classism and societal influence. We also see glimpses of themes like friendship, confidence, and the importance of individuality.
The company perfectly blends seriousness with satire. Take the main witchfinder Matthew Hopkins, played by cast member Darcy Dawson-Taylor (she/her), for example. Hopkins’ entrance on stage and following rap brews giggles from the crowd. As the show progresses, however, these laughs die down, as said by show tech Liv Graham (she/her):
“I love watching the audience because I'm at the back… As it gets more creepy, Matthew Hopkins gets less laughs, and then, like, Phoebe [Hunter]’s (she/her) scene is so uncomfortable when she's stripped. And watching it they're like, ‘Oh, this isn't funny anymore.’”
Dawson-Taylor added to this saying once you see the reality of Hopkin’s work- torturing and then killing women- it leaves the crowd questioning their initial reaction. Saying it creates questions of “should we laugh? Can we laugh?”.
These are the questions that the company wants on the audience’s minds as they leave the show. Actor Dannielle Faye (she/her) summarises it by stating that instead of preaching, comedy is sometimes the best way to make people angry and spark uncomfortable conversations.
Actor Hannah Burnside (she/her) added to this: “We’re called Menstrual Rage for a reason. We want to make people angry and want to make them want that change.”
Regardless of the feminist undertones, the acting alone is phenomenal. Each actor has such an astoundingly wide range, each playing at least 2 roles; often ones with polar opposite personalities. Every character feels thorough, as if the actors actually are their character. The world of HELLCATS transports the audience back to the 1600s, fully immersing them in the tension and hysteria that plagues the townspeople.
Menstrual Rage use the chaos and bigotry of the witch trials and compare it to sexism today. Parallels are drawn between how absurd the blatant hypocrisy of men towards women is present in current media, with the likes of Taylor Swift being accused of being a witch.
HELLCATS takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring sexism through the lens of theatre, presenting us, the viewer, with the question: has anything really changed? What aspects of modern society should we address and how can we as individuals stand for the rights of women, as well as other oppressed groups. The lights dim. A woman runs on stage pleading for her life. She’s been accused of witchcraft. She must die. Anyone could be a witch.
Written by Mia Duffy, Staff Writer for The Magdalen
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