Play review: Vinegar Tom (1976) by Caryl Churchill.

There's witchcraft a foot and the witchfinder general comes to village in my latest book reviewing. Today's the day the witchy play of Caryl Churchill is reviewed. Let me introduce you to Vinegar Tom (1976)…

The play's title is taken from the name of a witch's familiar that famous witchfinder Matthew Hopkins mentioned in his pamphlet 'The Discovery of Witches'. This is why in the play, the character of Alice has a cat called Vinegar Tomcat; it is Caryl Churchill's allusion to Matthew Hopkins.

In this play we do meet Witchfinders, though neither are Matthew Hopkins. They still however have plans to weed out any witches in the village. The women here are treated as inferior to men, as though men are better. This reminds me of Churchill's play Owners (1972) that I read and reviewed recently. The play is set in the 17th century so that is a little understanding. I do however disagree with it. The use of the songs in modern time highlight the discrimination women face which I did like.

Some of the women in the play get unfairly branded as witches which led to unjust actions. This is something that never happened to men and I think it offers a crucial feminist thinking. Someone (a middle-aged man for context), told me that women might have had it worse than men in the past but not nowadays. Considering how I am always reading about men who are let off for committing different types of assault and abuse against women, I disagree massively with the statement. This sentiment is mirrored in the play. The men can get way with anything yet when a women says something she can be told she is a witch and that's that!

I did like reading the play and thought it delivered a rather surprising end to it. I half expected something to happen which did. On the other hand, everything else that happened in the play's ending came as a shock to me. It was an honest, cruel reminder of 17th century society for women and it told the story strongly. I am giving Vinegar Tom a solid 8/10.


Until next time,


Thomas.

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