Hexenhammer
11 February 2023
Vault Festival
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
I wasn’t sure about this show at first, I mostly booked it because it fit into my schedule for the day, but I am so glad I did! An absolutely amazing statement on sexism and incel culture without being too on the nose.
Hexenhammer was a 15th century guide on witch hunting, written by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, two German monks heading medieval witch hunts. The book was massively circulated at the time, outsold only by the bible.
Sidsel Rostrup and Suzy Kohane take on the personalities of these two monks and their quest throughout England, trying to convince people to burn women for witchcraft. At times serious, at times ridiculously goofy, the show takes on the question of why some men, to this day, believe ending the lives of women will solve their problems. Drawing parallels to recent developments in some fringe online communities of frustrated young men radicalised into blaming women for everything wrong in their lives, Hexenhammer humorously looks at how these situations develop and how 500 years later, the clear discrimination of women still exists to some degree.
A funny but also deeply moving show from beginning to end, so well presented through very well developed personalities, dragging 15th century monks into modern day society.
Highly recommend this show if you get a chance to see it!