Duncan Harley

The last Scottish witch met a fiery end at Dornoch in 1727 ending what some saw as the domination of the devil in local affairs. Smeared with tar following a short trial, Janet Horne was burned alive in a barrel following an accusation of consorting with the forces of darkness.   In 1950’s America however, the devil-incarnate took the form of McCarthyism  – perhaps best defined as the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. Many intellectuals, artistic folk and politicians fell foul of the new inquisition. And Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible took an allegorical stab at that modern-day witch hunt against those accused of the crime of ‘Un-American activities’ using the medium of the Salem Witch Trials of the 17 th century. And now, this no-holds barred portrayal of the righteous paranoia that was McCarthyism is subject to fresh interpretation by Scottish Ballet. Shocking in its intensity, this exquisite take on ...