✨ EXCITING NEWS! ✨
​Following the epic site-responsive sharing of the 1653 storyline from AWAKEN at this year's Luton Henge Festival, we're thrilled to announce that the full production of AWAKEN will make its Bedfordshire debut this Halloween.
While Halloween has become associated with frightening images of witches, hags and horror, AWAKEN invites audiences to look beyond the myths and stereotypes and remember the real women who were persecuted, silenced and accused of witchcraft. The play honours the cunning folk healers of the 17th Century, whose knowledge and practices were often misunderstood and feared.
By bringing this story to the stage at Halloween, we aim to reclaim the conversation around witchcraft and shine a light on the women whose voices have been lost to history.
🌿 ABOUT THE PLAY
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AWAKEN by Cheryl Prince, Produced by 5D Theatre CIC
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Blending history, mystery and the supernatural, AWAKEN is a gripping thriller spanning two lifetimes.
In 2023, Sarah Reynolds, a medium and palliative care nurse, is called by Henry Husk's daughter, Liz, to care for the dying Henry. As unsettling memories begin to surface, Sarah is drawn into a mystery that reaches back to the witch persecutions of 1653.
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As past and present collide, long-buried truths emerge, challenging everything Sarah believes about history, justice and the women once condemned as witches.
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Part historical drama, part supernatural thriller, AWAKEN shines a light on working-class women and the almost erased world of cunning folk healers. Partially written in Canting - the lost language that predates Cockney - it reclaims the wisdom, healing and resilience of the women whom history branded as witches.
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AWAKEN was originally developed with support from Arts Council England, The Park Theatre, Beacon Arts Centre and The Actors Temple. A site-responsive adaptation of the 1653 storyline was later commissioned by Revoluton Arts and the Luton Create Fund for the Luton Henge Festival 2026.
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Content advisory: AWAKEN contains references to sexual violence, abortion, suicide and witch persecution. Recommended for audiences aged 14+
