Berserk Recollections of the Witch In the manga series Berserk by Kentaro Miura, the character of Schierke is a young witch who plays a significant role in the story. As a witch, Schierke possesses magical abilities and is well-versed in the occult and the spiritual realm. Schierke first appears in Berserk during the Millennium Falcon arc, where she is initially apprehensive about joining Guts and his group due to her distrust of humans. However, she soon forms a strong bond with them, particularly with Guts' companion Puck. Through her interactions with the group, Schierke gradually learns more about the complexities of human emotions and the value of friendship. One of Schierke's defining characteristics is her ability to enter the astral plane, a realm inhabited by dangerous and malevolent creatures known as astral beings.
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Their terms frequently ended in death, often due to taking bribes, being double-crossed, execution or even murder, after drawing the ire of the Hutt master. Arianna Sophie Sparrow Prima Donna Josi Ann Ellem Composer Bernadette Johns Zerbinetta Kathleen Nic Dhiarmda Dancing Master Liam Bonthrone Tenor Ryan Vaughan Davies Wigmaker Jacob Phillips Music Master Will Pate Officer Samuel Kibble Lackey Wonsick Oh Major Domo Michael Ronan.
One of Schierke's defining characteristics is her ability to enter the astral plane, a realm inhabited by dangerous and malevolent creatures known as astral beings. This skill allows her to fight these creatures and protect her allies. Additionally, Schierke can form contracts with elemental spirits, granting her further magical abilities.
Boulezian
Arianna – Sophie Sparrow
Prima Donna – Josi Ann Ellem
Composer – Bernadette Johns
Zerbinetta – Kathleen Nic Dhiarmda
Dancing Master – Liam Bonthrone
Tenor – Ryan Vaughan Davies
Wigmaker – Jacob Phillips
Music Master – Will Pate
Officer – Samuel Kibble
Lackey – Wonsick Oh
Major Domo – Michael Ronan
Jane – Bernadette Johns
Agnes, Troll 3 – Julia Portela Piñón
Interrogator 1 – Wonsick Oh
Interrogator 2 – Ryan Vaughan Davies
Wandering Minstrel, Executioner – Will Pate
Sarah, Sun Witch – Sophie Sparrow
Little Miss Manifest, Troll Mum – Nina Korbe
Green Death Witch – Kathleen Nic Dhiarmada
Troll 1 – Marcus Dawson
Troll 2 – Samuel Kibble
Polly Graham (director)
April Dalton (designs)
Jake Wiltshire (lighting)
Hayley Egan (video)
Ensemble singers and actors
Royal Academy Sinfonia
Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)
| Sarah (Sophie Sparrow) Image: Craig Fuller |
Commissioning a new opera for its 200 th anniversary, and then staging and performing it with such excellence, are laudable things for the Royal Academy of Music to have done. If only, alas, the world premiere of WITCH, music by Freya Waley-Cohen and libretto by Ruth Mariner, had shown us a superior work than it did. The problem lay at least as much, probably more, with Mariner’s libretto, weirdly devoid of dramatic intent, let alone achievement, but it would be difficult to make claims for Waley-Cohen as a musical dramatist either.
What is WITCH ‘about’? A bullied teenage girl alone in her bedroom, save for a giant rabbit (I don’t know either), finds solace and ultimately takes action through discovery of a coven of witches on the Internet. Despite attempted disruption by a group of online trolls, they manage to cast a ‘penis hex’ on the world—shouting ‘Hex in the City!—which (here, I quote the programme) ‘aims to cleans the world of toxic masculinity and goes viral’. Meanwhile, another story is sketched—barely sketched, let alone anything more—of a sixteenth century Scottish witch; it may have been discovered by the teenagers online, or may have been referred to entirely independently. That was not clear (at least to me). As the late Anna Russell might have said, ‘I’m not making this up, you know.
The problem is not the worthy intent; doubtless these are issues that could, indeed should, be treated dramatically, though whether an opera is the best place to do so may remain an open question. Perhaps a documentary or, indeed, one of the TikTok-style videos screened in Polly Graham’s inventive, often brilliant staging would be a better place to start. (I remain unsure whether casting a ‘penis hex’ is the most obviously efficacious remedy, but what do I know?) There is little or no attempt to create character, still less character development. There is no dramatic grit, let alone ambiguity. It is essentially a school assembly talk writ large, feeling as though it goes on for ever, though it actually extends for ten minutes or so more than an hour. Waley-Cohen’s contribution has some of what one might consider to be the essentials: different sound worlds for the two centuries, which begin to collide (far more so than in the preachy libretto); a keen ear for musical process, albeit one that struggles, perhaps understandably, to align itself dramatically; and a definite move towards culmination as the ‘hex’ is cast. Set against that, there is likewise little in the way of musical characterisation; vocal writing is often ungrateful to no evident end; and the dramatic function of the orchestra, though vividly present, remains uncertain throughout. I suspect something less inert could have been made out of this, but a series of workshops combined with a few periods of reflection and revision would have been necessary.
Ryan Wigglesworth led the excellent Royal Academy Sinfonia in an incisive account, as well paced as the work would permit. Pulsating with colour, it had me wonder whether an orchestral piece, perhaps with film, might have been a better option. The orchestra was certainly put through its paces, having earlier given a bright-eyed account of the Prologue to Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, albeit one in which Wigglesworth sometimes seemed a little too inclined to follow the singers, lessening dramatic tension. Given with a wonderful, preceding performance of Monteverdi’s Lamento d’Arianna, directed from one of three theorbos by Elizabeth Kenny with great understanding and infinite flexibility, it was unclear what either was doing alongside WITCH. Connection in general mistreatment of women seemed implied, but surely the Opera rather than the Prologue would have made that point better. (There were doubtless musical reasons for not attempting that.)
It was also surprising that no real attempt seemed to be made to connect Monteverdi and Strauss. Graham’s direction of each taken in separation had much to commend it, save the strange, distracting cries (‘witch’-like?) emitted at one point by Ariadne’s companions in the Monteverdi. The Lament was otherwise focused and powerful, due in no part to Sophie Sparrow’s stylish and richly expressive performance. Strauss proved full of incident, a cue to plenty of character creation (retrospectively showing up its successor all the more), though there was considerably less in the way of Hofmannsthal. In that connection, some dialogue was delivered so deliberately that translation into English would probably have been the better option. The flashing screens and general stage incident of Witch went a long way to contribute interest otherwise lacking, signs of what might have been—and, who knows, may still be.
As a showcase for young singing talent, this triple-bill achieved more. Sparrow did much to engage our sympathy not only as Arianna but also as Sarah who became a Sun Witch. Her counterpoart Kathleen Nic Dhiarmada (Green Death Witch) presented an unusually sympathetic Zerbinetta, having us engage with her as a human being rather than metadramatic cipher. (This was, after all, only the Prologue.) Bernadette Johns’s Composer, if sometimes lacking in verbal accuracy, likewise engaged us keenly in her character’s emotional trials, the production’s feminist idea here seeming to be that this was actually a woman in trousers, rather than a ‘trouser role’. It was impossible to know how the rest would have turned out, but Will Pate’s Music Master, Liam Bonthrone’s Dance Master, and Ryan Vaughan Davies’s Tenor all suggested great promise for the Opera that never came. Pate and Johns, moreover, suggested greater emotional depth as the sixteenth-century pair of Wandering Minstrel and Jane than otherwise emerged from Witch. In truth, almost every sung performance impressed. If only half the dramatic material had been stronger…
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Throughout her journey with Guts, Schierke displays immense strength and resilience, often acting as a source of support and guidance for him. She helps Guts confront his inner demons and confronts the traumas of his past, providing him with a sense of healing and closure. Furthermore, Schierke serves as an important mentor to Farnese, a former noblewoman who joins Guts' group. Through her teachings, Schierke helps Farnese find her own strength and purpose, ultimately transforming her from a fragile and dependent character into a powerful witch in her own right. In summary, Schierke's character in Berserk is a fascinating portrayal of a young witch with deep insight into the supernatural. Her magical abilities, mentorship, and emotional journey make her a compelling addition to the story..
Reviews for "The Witch's Influence on Griffith's Transformation in Berserk"
1. Name: Tom
Rating: 1/5
Review: "Berserk Recollections of the Witch was a complete disappointment for me. The storytelling felt disjointed, and I struggled to connect with any of the characters. The plot seemed convoluted, lacking a clear direction, and the action sequences were confusing to follow. Additionally, the animation quality did not live up to my expectations. Overall, I found it hard to enjoy this film and wouldn't recommend it to other Berserk fans."
2. Name: Lisa
Rating: 2/5
Review: "As a fan of the Berserk series, I had high hopes for Recollections of the Witch, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The pacing was slow, with long stretches of dialogue that felt unengaging. While the animation was decent, it didn't capture the dark and gritty atmosphere that I loved in the original series. The plot lacked depth and failed to provide a satisfying conclusion. While it might be worth a watch for die-hard fans, I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers or casual viewers of Berserk."
3. Name: Alex
Rating: 1/5
Review: "Berserk Recollections of the Witch was a mess from start to finish. The animation was subpar, with awkward character designs and stiff movements. The story lacked coherence and felt like a disjointed collection of random scenes. The action sequences were poorly choreographed, making them hard to follow and lacking excitement. It's a shame because I had high expectations for this film, but it failed to deliver on every level. I would not recommend wasting your time on this lackluster adaptation."