Witchcraft and murder across Yorkshire in Mutton

It’s 1809, and Mary Bateman is about to be hanged for witchcraft and murder. Her career of crime has included fake identities, magic charms, poisoned pudding, a holy hen, drunk watchmen and... a freshly-shaved leg of mutton.

Mutton is a new play from Leeds theatre company Brave Words, exploring the rise and fall of the Yorkshire Witch. The play's author and the company's artistic director, Chris Singleton, said: “When I heard about Mary I was immediately captivated; the audacity of a woman pretending her pet hen could predict the end of the world!

“In the early 1800s, people lived in poverty, scared by the rapid development of new technology. Mary’s witchcraft promised them a better life and offered them power and protection. People believed in her because they were desperate.”

Chris was writer in residence at Leeds Central Library in 2019 when he first learned about Mary. Six years later, the first performance of Mutton will take place at the library on November 13, before the show tours across Leeds and parts of Yorkshire .

A dark comedy-drama inspired by Fleabag, the League of Gentlemen and Brassic, Mutton is rooted in the North and has been made by a female-led team, with director Lucy Campbell at the helm.

The majority of performances will be pay-what-you-can, in line with Brave Words’ ethos of making professional theatre accessible for all.

Full list of venues and tickets here