Riotous and ridiculously good. A Shakespearean family show bursting with heart, hilarity, and spellbinding performances.
Witches, warlocks, spirits, ghosts, and magical beings of every kind– step into the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe and prepare to become an Apprentice Guardian of Destiny! Behind those doors lies a world bursting with wonder, mischief, and riotous Shakespearean charm. Rough Magic is the Globe’s bold summer pick for a family show, and it absolutely delivers.
Directed by the Globe’s Director of Education, Lucy Cuthbertson, and written by Ben Hales and Kerry Frampton (who also stars– and is, frankly, a force of nature), Rough Magic is a four-hander full of heart. With interactive storytelling, whip-smart improv, and gloriously silly theatrical magic, this show is a joyride from start to finish.
The story follows the three Weird Sisters– Nona (Rosmarie Akwafo), Morai (Janet Etuk), and Audeja (Bryony Twydle)– as they prepare to welcome Queen Hecate (Frampton) for a crucial ceremony. But all is not well in the world of prophecy. The sisters are still reeling from the Macbeth incident (hush hush– thunder, lightning, trauma-induced shivers), which they blame on young Nona for supposedly delivering a false vision (“Thou shalt be King
hereafter”). A prophecy, they insist, was not in the Book of Destiny– their most sacred text and the source of all true futures. In an effort to redeem herself, Nona sets out to guide another human whose destiny, like Macbeth’s, seems dangerously open to change. What follows is a riotous blend of clowning, improv, and pantomime-style mayhem that has children and adults alike in fits of laughter.
The performances are what truly make Rough Magic such a delight. Rosmarie Akwafo’s Nona is bold, sweet, and endlessly relatable– she’s every kid in the audience, and easy to root for. Her “aunties,” Moira and Audeja, are just as entertaining. Bryony Twydle shines as the motherly yet chaotic Audeja, delivering a hilariously unhinged one-woman Macbeth mid-memory spiral that somehow absolutely lands. She also doubles as one of two overly dramatic actor-ghosts, stealing scenes with delicious absurdity.
Janet Etuk brings grounded gravitas to Moira, the clear-headed leader of the trio– a stark contrast to her wild turn as the infamous Fairy Puck. The transformation is so complete it took me an embarrassingly long time to realise it was the same actor– a true testament to her range.
And then there’s Kerry Frampton: co-writer, multirole marvel, and comedic powerhouse. Her main role as Henry IX– a deranged pantomime villain with big spoiled-brat energy– is a joy to hate, packed with bold choices, razor-sharp jokes, and gloriously ridiculous physicality. Her other characters are equally vivid: Hecate commands the stage with resonant vocals and queenly poise, while her second ghost (opposite Twydle’s) is just as outrageously funny. But the true show-stealer is Ze Shadow– an absurdly French, telekinetic silhouette who teaches the audience how to lift his own arm with their minds. Frampton is simply on fire, and Rough Magic becomes a playground for her wit, range, and comic brilliance.
The set and costumes complete the spell. From levitating objects to a steaming cauldron, glowing books, and shining orbs, the show is every bit as magical as you’d hope. A particular highlight was “Creature,” the witches’ octopus-like pet– brought to life by a single puppet leg that popped out of trapdoors to the kids’ absolute delight. All in all, Rough Magic is a triumph. With a top-tier cast, a sharp script, non-stop audience interaction, and just the right sprinkle of Shakespeare, it’s a show the whole family will remember– and laugh about– for days to come. Bring your little ones, bring your inner child, and rest assured: you’ll all leave grinning from ear to ear.