Hythe‘s disused skate park provided the perfect spooky backdrop, with over 300 people making their way through a scare maze to witness the crowning of a new Witchy White.
The maze included visits from witches of New Forest Legend, Witchy White and Mary Dore, as well as a zombie accordionist and local bog man.
The idea of a scare maze came to us from Hythe Youth Group (the Handy Trust), based at Ewart Rec. The young group helped co-design the event, and New Forest based Tackroom theatre brought it to life.
The collaborative effort provided affordable entertainment for the teenagers and families of the Waterside, hosting 16 performances over October Half Term and Halloween.
Families witnessed the magic and mystery and fun unfold and explored the enchanting world of the New Forest’s myths and legends. One of the standout aspects of the event was the ability of the multi-talented actors to transport an ancient local story into the modern era, with lots of audience participation, magic, storytelling, and music-making. Remarkably, 90% of the audience hailed from the local areas of Hythe, Dibden & Purlieu, and the Waterside, who really appreciated not to having to venture far in the rainy weather to enjoy high-quality entertainment.
The anticipation for the show was notable as people watched it being carefully constructed during the week leading up to the performance. One passerby, who had recently moved to the area, expressed amazement at the vibrant and active community they had discovered.
