Book: Jonathan Prince
Music & Lyrics: Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett, Steve Robson
Director: Georgie Rankcom
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Enchanting“
4 / 5
Under the Harvest moon in a small American town, two worlds are set to collide. The human townspeople have had stories passed down for generations about witchcraft and sorcery, some wholeheartedly believing the myths, but many dismissing it as folklore. But high in the Smoky Mountains live a coven of witches, watching over the town and keeping their distance so their powers remain intact.
Witch boy John (Glenn Adamson) decides he can no longer watch from afar. He’s fallen in love with a human – Barbara Allen (Lauren Jones), and is so desperate to experience a life with her, that he begs the Conjur Woman (Josie Benson) to turn him into a human, striking a deal that would mean renouncing his immortality forever, if the pairs true love can remain strong for a year. The locals aren’t happy with John’s arrival though – shop owner Mr Wharton (David-Michael Johnson) is suspicious of the unknown stranger and Marvin’s (Samuel Murray) dreams of marrying Barbara are quickly destroyed when he sees how infatuated Barbara is with John. The coven are equally unhappy – with six witches needed together to remain at ultimate power, they’re scared that his urge to stay human will break them apart. With so many rooting against the couple – are they destined to fail or will their love reign supreme against the odds?
John and Barbara’s love story is adorably bewitching. The star-crossed lovers storyline is familiar, but enjoyable, and the chemistry between Jones & Adamson is believably charming. The musical score contains some brilliantly catchy, memorable Bluegrass/Country songs, such as ‘Ordinary Life’ and ‘Wildflower’, that help to bring the small-town Country vibe to life immediately. Jones in particular has incredibly beautiful vocal talent that fits the ethereal, folky score perfectly. These songs are contrasted well to show the two conflicting worlds with the pop-rock songs to represent the coven, though, the coven’s songs are less impactful and sound a little more generic sounding than the Country offerings. The opposing worlds is also illustrated easily through Libby Todd’s well thought out set and costume design. The witches are mainly showcased on the upper levels of the stage, highlighted with smoke and shadows, while the humans are depicted with bright, vibrant colours and wooden barn-like structures.
Although the stark differences between the two groups are easily recognised, the panto-like exaggeration of the witches is too over done, with their Disney channel-esque depictions of the villains making their scenes cringey rather than captivating. Their movements are so feline like as they prance around the stage that it’s like watching a revival of Cats rather than a supernatural show. Benson’s Conjur Woman is much more powerful in showcasing witches – her dominating presence immediately making the magical matriarch a force to be reckoned with. Wills Mercado as Barbara’s brother Floyd, and Martin Callaghan’s portrayal of Preacher Haggler have some enjoyably humorous moments, while David-Michael Johnson and Kiah Lindsay (Grace/Katie) handle the more emotive scenes with wonderful execution.
An enchanting show, that successfully keeps you completely under its spell from beginning to end.
Runs until 8th August 2026
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