Bog Witch theatre review: A little magic
Ditching her city roots for the countryside, Bryony Kimmings is at one with nature in this mesmerising and heartwarming call for climate consciousness
This new work from Bryony Kimmings feels like Fleabag if she’d wandered into the countryside, started listening to Laura Marling and had an existential breakdown beside her new bog. Set in a rural backwater (25 minutes from Brighton), Bog Witch slips between song, storytelling and fourth wall-breaking stand-up, creating an unexpected intimacy in the cavernous Traverse. Divided neatly into seasons and decorated with gorgeous, tactile props, the show follows Kimmings (playing herself) as she tries to settle into her new life, deep in the natural world. But her resistance slowly gives way to delirium as she slips into the rhythms of nature and learns more about humanity’s failure to protect it.
This is a cosy kind of hilarious, particularly in its audience interactions, but there are moments of gut-twisting sadness, too. By the end, we’ve grown so fond of our protagonist that we’re simply spellbound by her storytelling, which is peppered with meditations on death, decay and even a little magic. The final scene alone could be an entire show, with an impressively designed stage and silly moments of improv providing the backdrop for a sincere and hopeful message. Funny, frantic and moving, this is not just one for the crusties and the witches; it’s for anyone trying to muddle their way through this boggy life.
Bog Witch, Traverse Theatre, until 30 August, times vary; picture: Rosie Powell.