Overview
Synopsis
The Witches of Eastwick tells the tale of the people of the little town of Eastwick. It is a town where everyone knows everything about everyone else, and it is presided over by the indomitable Felicia Gabriel. Bored and fed up with their small town lives, three women--Alexandra (Alex), Sukie, and Jane--share a desire for “all manner of man in one man” to provide excitement and variety. That man arrives, literally in a flash, in the devil-like form of Darryl Van Horne. Darryl seduces the women and teaches them powers, which they never knew they had. Scandalized by the carefree foursome, Felicia and the women of the town vow to clean up the “Dirty Laundry” that is disrupting their peaceful setup.
As Darryl’s powers over Alex, Jane, and Sukie become more powerful, the three women start to consider that their wild, lustful relationship with Darryl is more sinister and dangerous than they realized. After Felicia and her husband, Clive, die as a result of the witches’ curse, the women vow to have nothing more to do with Darryl. When Darryl tries to take over the rest of the town and marry Felicia and Clive’s orphaned daughter Jennifer, they realize that they must use their newly discovered powers to get rid of him once and for all.
Show Information
Context
The Witches of Eastwick, a musical comedy bursting with magic and mischief, first cast its spell on audiences in 2000 at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Adapted from John Updike’s 1984 novel and the 1987 film, with a book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe, the show was a splashy production helmed by director Eric Schaeffer and producer Cameron Mackintosh. It introduced the devilish Darryl Van Horne and the three titular witches—Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie—with a
to read the context for The Witches of Eastwick and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
The curtain rises on the sleepy, scandal-loving town of Eastwick, Rhode Island, where a precocious young girl named Brenda Parslow kicks off the show with the gossipy ensemble number "Eastwick Knows," painting a vivid picture of a community where everyone’s business is fair game, from petty squabbles to whispered affairs, all while a parade in honor of the town’s heritage is comically interrupted by an unexpected downpour that sends umbrellas flying and tempers flaring. We meet our
to read the plot for The Witches of Eastwick and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
Showing 8 of 11 characters
Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Witches of Eastwick.
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Songs
Showing 8 of 23 songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Videos
Quizzes
Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher