Prick – The Space on the Mile: Space 3
‘Prick’ is a powerful new play by Laurie Flanigan Hegge which throws a light on a shameful period in Scotland’s history.
Between 1563 and 1736 nearly 4000 people (mainly women) were accused of witchcraft. More than 2500 of them were brutally executed. Garroted by the hangman, they were then burnt at the stake, leaving no bodies for their families to bury.
The play’s title, ‘Prick’, refers to a sharp iron needle pushed, often repeatedly, into the bodies of women accused of witchcraft. The Pricker was seeking a witch’s mark, a part of the body which would not bleed or feel pain. The accused woman had first been stripped and shaved. If all else failed, the pricks often had a blunt end which would not draw blood. The Pricker could then claim that he’d found the devil’s mark. Often ...