Review: The Coven, a Play by Robert Luxford

‘The Coven’ is the script for a rather unusual, short play, written and self-published (Lulu.com) by Robert Luxford. The play focuses on a coven of four women, as the priestess introduces a novice, Frances, to their world. The play is divided into 2 Acts, although I would recommend 3 – the introduction and gradual acceptance of Frances, as she struggles with a stereotypically controlling religious husband who cannot accept her new avenue of life; the actual practice of the power of the coven, with a dangerous choice to take the law in to their own hands and punish an old member who is getting away with murdering children; and the repercussions of this action, which tests the strength of the coven and what they stand for.

As a play, it reads as a very dramatic piece, and would be a good example to test the range of an acting student. There is a lot of shouting and emotional spirals, with a lot of tension. That said, there is not much movement in the play. The acting students would need to be convincing enough to sustain the audience’s attention, as most scenes just have 3-5 characters talking in a circle. After a while this might become tedious, and would perhaps require an extra interpretation from the director.

The central focus of the play is also a little cloudy. I feel the three ‘parts’, described above, were not tied up with enough clarity (the first part did not really impact that much on the second). However, I did enjoy the moral dilemma faced by the coven as they decided whether to use their powers to harm someone who was also using their powers to harm others. I also enjoyed the ‘human’ element creeping through in the third part, after said powers were used, as doubt began to creep in as to the righteousness of their actions.

It is good to see a play treading on different areas/themes than most – it would have been something I would have enjoyed looking at in Year 12 Drama, all those years ago. I think with a little more tidying up, and perhaps a little padding to create some interaction with the stage environment, this could be even better.

The author asks that anyone wishing to produce this play should contact The Australian Script Centre (Tasmania).