An awesome dramatised reading of The Witch of Edmonton by Thomas Dekker; William Rowley; John Ford Free Audio Play from the Tale Teller Club Library.

act 1 of the witch of edmonton by william rowley thomas decker and john ford this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox.org the witch of edmonton which was probably first performed in 1623 was not published until 35 years later in 1658 it was then issued in the usual quarto form with the title the witch of edmonton a known true story composed into a tragic comedy by diver's well esteemed poets william rowley thomas decker john ford etc acted by the prince's servants often at the cockpit in jury lane once at court with singular applause the best modern reprint of the play is that in the gifford dice edition of ford upon which the present version is based it is impossible to assign the exact share of the various authors in the play the business of the witch the rustic course and certain other parts mark themselves out as mainly deckers the conception of sir arthur clarington and the subsidiary domestic park is no doubt mainly for its rowley's share is more difficult than a certain the intimate collaboration of all three can alone be held accountable for some of the scenes and indeed in even the passages most characteristic of any one of the authors the touch of another often shows itself in a chance word or phrase the justification for the description of the play as a known true story is a pamphlet written by henry goodkul and published at london in 1621 giving an account of one elizabeth sawyer light of islington who was executed in 1621 for witchcraft see call fields portraits memoirs and characters of a remarkable person 1794. no existing copy of the pamphlet is known but the british museum possesses copies of two of goodkul's other pamphlets on similar subjects

prologue the town of edmonton has led to the stage a devil and a witch both in age to make comparisons it were uncivil between so even a pair a witch and a devil but as the year doth with his plenty bring as well as a ladder as a former spring so half this switch enjoyed the first in reason presumes she may partake the other season in acts deserving name the proverb says what's good and ever why not so in place why not in this sense gentlemen we flatter no expectation here is mirth and matter master bird the whole argument of the play is this distance forced marriage murder murder blood requires reproach revenge revenge hell's help desires dramatus persona read by lydia sir arthur clarington read by brad phillipone old thorny a gentleman read by peter tucker carter a rich yeoman read by todd warback and somerton suitors to carter's daughters quebec read by john burlinson somerton read by david purdy frank thorny's son read by david nicol old banks a countryman read by alan mapstone caddy beck's his son read by adrian strowett ratcliff and hamlet countryman ratzcliffe read by dylan mcfarlane hamluck read by peter tucker morris dancers saga and old fiddler read by brad phillipone a dog a familiar read by rob board a spirit read by christine g countryman justice constables officers serving men and mates the first countryman read by mark thornton second countryman read by charlotte duckett third countryman read by leon yeo justice read by david olson constable read by david olson mother sawyer the witch read by beth thomas and ratcliffe's wife read by newgate novelist susan and catherine carter's daughters susan read by sonia catherine read by christine g winifred sir arthur's made read by elizabeth clart scene the town and neighborhood of edmonton in the end of the last act london the witch of edmonton act the first scene one the neighborhood of edmonton a room in the house of sir arthur clarington enter frank thorny and winifred who is with child come wench why he is a business soon dispatched my heart i...