Trial and retribution!

Brixham based community group The South Devon Players, portrayed the fate of two women pirates in the Trial of Anne Bonney and Mary Reed in their evening performance under the Old Fish Market on August 27th.

Dragged to the harbour in chains, Anne Bonney (played by Jema Addison) and Mary Reed ( played by Anna Gibbings) stood before the Court in Jamaica of 1720, to be charged amongst their many crimes with piracy.

The two characters historically lived in the eighteenth century and were members of the famous Calico Jack Rackham crew, with Anne his lover originally born in Ireland and Mary Reed believed to have come from Plymouth.

The South Devon Players showed how the two women and Jack plundered and attacked innocent folk, boarding their sloops and fishing boats, before finally being caught by the British Navy.

Anne and Mary were reported to have fought on long after the men alongside them had given up!

Calling on Dorothy Thomas (Louise German) to give evidence she proclaimed that the two women had been dressed in ‘trousers and men's jackets', totally unheard of for the times and John Besneck (Garry Addison) said that Rackham boarded his sloop and the two women were ‘willing to do anything!'

With everyone wanting to see retribution the Governor of Jamaica Sir Nicholas Lawes (played by Greg Hopkins), pronounced that they should be hung till they were ‘dead, dead, dead,' but both escaped this fate after professing to be pregnant and being left in prison to see if this were true!

According to some sources Anne died of a fever whilst waiting in prison and Mary somehow escaped to return to England, where locals swore it was her running a rough ale house in the South West of England!

The South Devon Players, who specialise in newly written period plays based upon the south west history and mythology, perform with minimal sets.

They are open to new members aged 16+ (12-16 with written permission of legal guardian) and previous experience is not necessary as the group is a mix on experienced and novice players.

For those who missed the performance the group will be performing this piece again at the Royal British Legion Club on Sat 12th Sept 7.45pm, to which all are welcome!

Entry by donation, £2 suggested.