Coven Review: A Witchy Mess of Cartoonish Characters and Simplistic Messages
Rebecca Brewer and Daisy Chute's musical Coven attempts to turn the Pendle witch trials into a flesh-and-blood story, bringing attention to the wronged women at its center. The production features a talented ensemble cast, including Gabrielle Brooks as Jenet, a woman who testifies against her family for witchcraft as a child. However, beneath its seemingly engaging premise lies a mess of cartoonish characters and simplistic messages.
The show's pacing is erratic, veering wildly between moments of introspection and broad comedic scenes. The production attempts to tackle complex themes such as the coercion of children and the targeting of poor, disempowered women by the church. Yet, these ideas are presented in a haphazard manner, turning what could have been a thought-provoking exploration into a jumbled mess.
The show's reliance on simplistic messages about empowerment and historical revisionism feels particularly shallow. The actors do their best to bring depth to their characters, but it's a tough ask when the script is so heavy-handed in its storytelling. Even King James I makes an appearance, offering his approval of the witch-hunts with a ruff collar that's more cringe-worthy than convincing.
The production's reliance on a "puppet" portrayal of Jenet's childhood self feels like a cheap trick, and the scene where Maggie gives birth is marred by a saccharine song about Mother Earth. The show's attempts at broad humor fall flat, particularly in the comedic enactment of misogynistic men from history.
Ultimately, Coven feels like a strange, unpolished soup of an idea rather than a cohesive, thought-provoking work of theatre. Despite its talented cast and robust onstage band, the production is brought down by its cartoonish characters, simplistic messages, and erratic pacing.
Rebecca Brewer and Daisy Chute's musical Coven attempts to turn the Pendle witch trials into a flesh-and-blood story, bringing attention to the wronged women at its center. The production features a talented ensemble cast, including Gabrielle Brooks as Jenet, a woman who testifies against her family for witchcraft as a child. However, beneath its seemingly engaging premise lies a mess of cartoonish characters and simplistic messages.
The show's pacing is erratic, veering wildly between moments of introspection and broad comedic scenes. The production attempts to tackle complex themes such as the coercion of children and the targeting of poor, disempowered women by the church. Yet, these ideas are presented in a haphazard manner, turning what could have been a thought-provoking exploration into a jumbled mess.
The show's reliance on simplistic messages about empowerment and historical revisionism feels particularly shallow. The actors do their best to bring depth to their characters, but it's a tough ask when the script is so heavy-handed in its storytelling. Even King James I makes an appearance, offering his approval of the witch-hunts with a ruff collar that's more cringe-worthy than convincing.
The production's reliance on a "puppet" portrayal of Jenet's childhood self feels like a cheap trick, and the scene where Maggie gives birth is marred by a saccharine song about Mother Earth. The show's attempts at broad humor fall flat, particularly in the comedic enactment of misogynistic men from history.
Ultimately, Coven feels like a strange, unpolished soup of an idea rather than a cohesive, thought-provoking work of theatre. Despite its talented cast and robust onstage band, the production is brought down by its cartoonish characters, simplistic messages, and erratic pacing.
and honestly i was so hyped but then it just fell flat like the witches in the show didn't even deserve better than that 
the way they portrayed Jenet's childhood was literally the most cringeworthy thing i've seen all year, like what are u even trying to say with this scene?! 
and don't even get me started on the music 
it was just so... basic. i mean, who uses a song about Mother Earth as a way to depict childbirth?! 
seriously though, coven needs some major revisions if u want to make it into something worth watching 
and I gotta say, some parts really stood out to me 
. The show's got a lot of potential with its talented cast and focus on the wronged women at the Pendle witch trials 
, but man, it feels like they dropped the ball on pacing and storytelling 
. It's too much like trying to cram a bunch of thoughts into a bowl and then serving them up without even seasoning 
. I get that they're trying to tackle some tough issues, but if you're gonna do it, do it right, you know? 
, and gabrielle brooks as jenet is amazing 
. maybe the pacing isn't perfect, but what musical theatre is? 
. i'm still gonna see it again btw 
the whole ensemble cast thing sounds promising, but it gets lost in all the clumsy attempts at humor and heavy-handed messages 
also, what's up with the "puppet" portrayal of Jenet's childhood self? felt super unconvincing 
. And don't even get me started on the weirdness of having King James I make an appearance, that's just bizarre 
. I guess what I'm saying is, if they wanted to do this story justice, they should've taken a more nuanced approach...
it's like they took all these fascinating historical themes and just... dumbed them down 
and the acting is great but it's not enough to save this messy script from itself 
king james i would never underestimate the power of a good wig 
. And can we talk about how they portrayed Jenet's childhood self? I mean, a puppet?! 
That feels like such a lazy cop-out. I was hoping for something more nuanced and thoughtful, but instead it just feels like a weird mishmash of ideas 
. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I think Coven Review has some real potential, but it needs to tighten up its act 
.
. The talented cast deserves better than a script that relies on heavy-handed storytelling and awkward cameos from historical figures 
. It's like they're trying to make a point, but the way they're doing it is more cringeworthy than thought-provoking 
& can we talk about how simplified the messages are? like where's the depth? 
.
. Until then, this review feels like a rant rather than a thoughtful critique 
.
i mean cant they see that it was more than just some poor girls being persecuted by the church? there were whole communities of women who were targeted and killed... its not just a simple story of empowerment, its so much more complex than that 
. It's like the show is trying to make a point about historical injustices but ends up being more cringeworthy than thought-provoking 
. The thing is, life isn't always neat and tidy like that... we gotta deal with complexity and messiness sometimes 
?
. I mean, come on, a birth scene with a saccharine song about Mother Earth? 
yeah no thanks. The pacing was all over the place and some of the humor just fell flat