BOG WITCH

Soho Theatre Walthamstow

★★★½

“As soulfully tender as it is wickedly funny”

Witchiness is being reclaimed, not least by Bryony Kimmings’ ‘Bog Witch’. Kimmings’ first solo show in over five years is a hilarious yet heartfelt meditation on the cost of uprooting your life to save the planet. But for a show promising reconnection, it feels a little untethered – a rich seed that’s yet to fully bloom.

Bryony is starting a new life in the country. Forget ponies and polo: this is a permaculture patch in the middle of nowhere which her whole family loves except her. Severed from the comforts of capitalist suburbia, she’s forced to confront isolation, disconnection and rising eco-anxiety alone. In her quest to save the planet, how much of herself will she lose?

Written, directed and performed by Bryony Kimmings, ‘Bog Witch’ is a raw one-woman wrestle with the weight of saving the world. From isolation and climate anxiety to animal death and even pregnancy loss, Kimmings delves into a vivid spectrum of human experience with fearless honesty. As soulfully tender as it is wickedly funny, it’s woven with a vulnerability that beckons you into its mossy heart. Yet, it feels uneven. A playful, punchy first half gives way to an emotional but meandering second: a Wizard of Oz-esque crisis feels drawn out, and a plodding epilogue dulls the final flourish. Furthermore, the dramatic threads of soul holes and friendships fail to resolve, fizzling out with a lacklustre hug. There’s undeniable magic here, but the spell feels unfinished.

Kimmings’ direction and Francesca Murray-Fuentes’ co-direction is bold and inventive, constructing and then dismantling the set with symbolic flair. The striking and sometimes comical use of projections cleverly unites the sprawling stage elements. The disembodied voiceover adds a wry layer of self-commentary (poor Bryony). Kimmings’ storytelling is compelling, propelling the first half with energy and momentum. However, the second half loses its rhythm, especially the epilogue’s use of oversized spell book which weighs things down just when they should be building.

Kimmings commands the stage in this one-woman whirlwind of physical theatre, music, and song, a performance brimming with wit, courage, and emotional depth. There’s a witchy magic to her vocals: raw and evocative, even if not technically flawless. Though the enchantment wavers at times as repeated line slips – however cleverly handled – chip away at the flow.

Tom Parkinson’s score is rich, varied and atmospherically spot-on, shifting seamlessly from jaunty pagan folk to pulsing synth-driven soundscapes. Each choice amplifies the emotional pulse of the moment and helps conjure this strange, elemental world with satisfying precision.

Guy Hoare’s lighting design is strikingly beautiful, with sweeping transitions between expansive grandeur and piercing solitude. One of the most arresting touches is the colour draining from a scene as reality (or anxiety) kicks in.

Lewis Gibson’s sound design is dynamic and well-integrated, punctuating the performance with sardonic voiceovers and conjuring storms of sonic intensity. It complements the visual and narrative elements with flair despite sometimes overwhelming Kimmings’ vocals. Finetuning the balance could further elevate these moments.

Tom Rogers’ set and costume design subtly evoke the bleakness of Kimmings’ world. Dead, limbless trees hem her in, and even the brightest summer dress is layered over a stark black uniform. Joy is always undercut by something darker, a finely tuned reflection of the show’s emotional core.

‘Bog Witch’ delivers a compelling and emotionally resonant evening – visually rich, evocatively sincere, and unmistakably Kimmings. Despite feeling unfinished, it has an undeniable magic.

BOG WITCH

Soho Theatre Walthamstow

Reviewed on 14th October 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Rosie Powell

Previously reviewed at Soho Theatre venues:

MY ENGLISH PERSIAN KITCHEN | ★★★★ | October 2025

ENGLISH KINGS KILLING FOREIGNERS | ★★★½ | September 2025

REALLY GOOD EXPOSURE | ★★★★ | September 2025

JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND: SEX WITH STRANGERS | ★★★★★ | July 2025

ALEX KEALY: THE FEAR | ★★★★ | June 2025

KIERAN HODGSON: VOICE OF AMERICA | ★★★★★ | June 2025

HOUSE OF LIFE | ★★★★★ | May 2025

JORDAN GRAY: IS THAT A C*CK IN YOUR POCKET, OR ARE YOU JUST HERE TO KILL ME? | ★★★★★ | May 2025

WHAT IF THEY ATE THE BABY? | ★★★★★ | March 2025

WEATHER GIRL | ★★★½ | March 2025

BOG WITCH

★★★★

“delves into an abstracted perspective on very human issues, and is likely to be different from anything you have seen before”

The first thing you will notice about The Noises – a new play brought to The Old Red Lion Theatre by mother-daughter duo Jacqueline Saphra (writer) and Tamar Saphra (director) – is its main character, a dog named Luna. Shut inside a room by her owners her odd, defamiliarised speech is fascinating and hilarious; she calls sex “rump and grunty” and her owners “ma”, “pa” and “my Ellie girl”. She details all those strange things we know dogs do, from re-devouring a partially thrown up chicken (described in delightfully gruesome detail) to hiding one of every pair of shoes owned by various members of the house. Then there is her physicality, designed by movement director Louise Kempton and executed with impressive economical precision by Amy McAllister. The slight vibration of McAllister’s legs and bottom to suggest a wagging tail, the whine in her voice as she demands things from her owner, and an occasional growl are all particularly reminiscent to us dog owners of our own pets. Luna never delves too far into an animal reenactment – she doesn’t shuffle around on all fours as a child might – but there is just enough there to show us that she is not human.

The production begins with an audio description of the set, and special mention must be made to audio description and access consultants Jenni Elbourne and Amelia Cavallo for their work to make the show accessible for the visually impaired. The audio description itself adds to the show and experience, because so much of the play centres around Tom Parkinson’s sound design. Whilst the set is a single “room” with worn lino floor, a cracked ceiling and a single door stage-let, ‘The Noises’ themselves give a sense of the wider world beyond the door. At first these noises are familiar to Luna – a family argument, footsteps, a car outside – but as the play progresses they grow into something more frightening, until eventually they invade the set and even split the ceiling apart!

Thus we move from an amusing depiction of the inner workings of a dog’s mind to a deeper exploration of courage, fear and what it means to be ‘good’. Luna’s connection with the audience, looking us directly in the eye as she teaches us and tells her stories, means we find ourselves reconsidering our own outlooks. This play may revolve around a dog’s perspective, but it delves into an abstracted perspective on very human issues, and is likely to be different from anything you have seen before.

Reviewed by Katy Owen

Photography by Ali Wright

BOG WITCH

Soho Theatre Walthamstow

★★★½

“As soulfully tender as it is wickedly funny”

BOG WITCH

Soho Theatre Walthamstow

Reviewed on 14th October 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Rosie Powell

Previously reviewed at Soho Theatre venues:

BOG WITCH

BOG WITCH

BOG WITCH

Old Red Lion Theatre

Reviewed – 4th April 2019

★★★★

“delves into an abstracted perspective on very human issues, and is likely to be different from anything you have seen before”

Reviewed by Katy Owen

Photography by Ali Wright

The Noises

Old Red Lion Theatre until 20th April

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

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