Witches was born out of an absence of a purely all-female and non-binary cast in Cambridge comedy last year in spite of the success of Stockings, a glaring gap Angela Channell sought to bridge with this bewitching, new sketch show. As Channell phrases it, “Witches are emblematic of Halloween, and yet [the idea of] it has been misused for centuries – what would scare men more than to make a sketch show mocking them…’ She is referring to, of course, the Salem witch trials and subsequent social ostracization and persecution of women thought to be witches.

"Gender imbalance in Cambridge comedy is being redressed through the conceptualization of shows like Witches."

In this Cambridge coven of witches, however, we see four female and non-binary performers attempting to dispel stereotypes of ‘catty, bitchy women’ with sketches on what it means to be a witch in Halloween season. When I ask the cast and crew of the show how this is done, a concept reminiscent of Channel 4’s Fresh Meat comes up. They see the coven as a representation of a university flat: mates living together, sharing experiences together and as such, making memories together in a comical fashion. The sketches themselves are an assortment of moments in these witches’ lives rather than a linear process -- a pastiche formed to channel the spirit of camaraderie and joy involved when going around town getting involved in shenanigans, with pop culture references in abundance.

An integral part of the writing process reflects the genuine camaraderie seen in the sketches, which assistant director Megan Reidy credits to how the performers naturally, “got into smaller groups and had different pairings.” This is evident in the variety presented within a simple concept, and thus there truly is something for everyone. Nusrath Tapadar, one of the performers expands on this: “In Cambridge, lots of comedy is based on an intensely academic style of humour…Witches is about life…”

When I point out that, in spite of its less academically-grounded writing, a show with a strong concept such as this could garner controversy for seemingly aiming to ‘tick the boxes’, the cast and crew are quick to make an excellent point. Gender imbalance in Cambridge comedy is being redressed through the conceptualization of shows like Witches. The director of the show, Adrianna Hunt, observes that redressing the imbalance will not be remotely alienating, as the symbolism is in the cast and crew rather than the content itself – which Channell sums up as, “making funny women part of the rule rather than the exception”.

Witches is inherently political female and non-binary comedy in action, something Channell espouses wholeheartedly. Its political statement lies in its conceptualization rather than its sketches, which allows the show to reach out to a broader audience. Nonetheless, the aim is not to appease everyone. Rather, it chooses to celebrate phenomenal women at its finest – phenomenal women we, as viewers of Cambridge comedy, need to keep an eye on as the future of comedy rests in breaking boundaries. This show is one of many that will generate the momentum required to keep diversity in comedy going, and it is shaping up to be one to watch.