The South Bank is going sinisterly supernatural this spring as the London Dungeon announces its wicked new show, Curse of The Witch, launched on April 2.
On the 401st anniversary of her execution the show tells the story of Elizabeth Sawyer, a Londoner hanged for witchcraft under King James I in 1621 at the infamous Tyburn Tree near Marble Arch, where thousands of suspected witches were hanged over the years.
Accused of cursing and killing her neighbour Agnus Ratcliffe, she later confessed during her trial to murder and to conspiring with the devil to commit heinous crimes having renounced Christianity.
The show begins with Elizabeth’s imprisonment at Newgate Prison as she awaits execution more than 400 years ago. Guests brave, or foolish, enough to pay a visit will find themselves in the darkest cells of Newgate Prison and locked up alongside those accused of witchcraft to await their execution.
Confronted with her own mortality, Elizabeth wails in despair before cursing James I and releasing a wave of malevolent magic that will keep guests clinging to one another on the edge of their seats.
This spine-chilling show will truly test guests’ mettle as they face horrifying hexes, black magic, special effects and cries of innocence from Elizabeth herself – and those who aren’t careful may find themselves wrongly (or rightly) accused and facing the noose.
The London Dungeon worked alongside Malcolm Gaskill – Professor of Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia and a witch expert – to develop the new show.
Speaking about the Curse of the Witch, Malcolm said: “The case of Elizabeth Sawyer is one that has fascinated people for four centuries. Today, we may think she wasn’t a witch – but what mattered at the time was that those who accused her were convinced of her guilt owing to her anti-social behaviour, her swearing, the misfortunes of her neighbours and anyone who crossed her, and in the end a mark on her body like a teat where, it was believed, she fed the devil incarnate.
The Curse of The Witch show at the London Dungeon tells both sides of the story, intertwining historical fact and myths surrounding witchcraft. With the truth being at times even scarier than the myth I can confidently say the new show will cause a lot of screams, but also offer those interested a unique and immersive lesson on witches and the part witch-fearing Londoners played in prosecuting and executing those accused.”
The new London Dungeon show The Curse of The Witch opens to the public on April 2 and is included in the standard ticket price.
With 16 shows and thrilling rides, the London Dungeon promises to bring the city’s dark history to life delivering ample scream-drenched stories and fear-inducing shocks for an experience you’ll never forget.
