Proboscis Theatre Company

The Scottish Witch Trials— sanctioned by the state (King James I, of the King James Bible fame!) fuelled by the church, fed by hysteria, and buried by history. Imagine a country where fear is rampant, where gangs of thugs police the streets, and innocent people are snatched up and separated from their loved ones. A country where religious zealots and radical conservatives dominate society. A country where mob mentality and conspiracy theories keep citizens at a suspicious distance from one another. Sound familiar? This country was Scotland in 1591. The threat of the devil loomed and ordinary women bore the brunt of the terror. PRICK reclaims the story of thousands of innocents who were “strangled to the death and burnt to ashes.” Inspired by the Witches of Scotland campaign that worked to remember all the victims, PRICK traverses magic and memory, fact and fiction, past and present. With haunting puppets created by Madeline Helling.
Proboscis Theatre Company will present this Chicago and Midwest premiere November 6-16, 2025. Proboscis brings their signature physical and visual style to the story of women fighting back against intimidation, violence, and brutal oppression in seventeenth century Scotland. This production will highlight Prick’s contemporary relevance with humor, razor sharp satire, poetically choreographed puppetry, all while providing an unflinching look into the horrors that women have faced for centuries. Their use of highly physical acting, live music and video will create an uncannily vivid theatrical experience that will leave a moving imprint long after the curtain falls.