The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge

"The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge"
Inside No. 9 episode
A poster for the episode, featuring Steve Pemberton as Mr. Clarke, David Warner as Sir Andrew Pike, and Reece Shearsmith as Mr. Warren. Ruth Sheen, as Elizabeth Gadge, is visible in the background.
Episode no.	Series 2 Episode 3
Directed by	Dan Zeff
Written by	Steve Pemberton Reece Shearsmith
Produced by	Adam Tandy (producer) Jon Plowman (executive producer)
Original air date	9 April 2015
Episode chronology
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External video

"A Black Imp" Warren and Clarke tell Sir Andrew Pike about a previous witch hunt.

"The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge" is the third episode of the second series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It was written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, and directed by Dan Zeff. It first aired on 9 April 2015 on BBC Two. The story follows a 17th-century witch trial. Elizabeth Gadge, played by Ruth Sheen, stands accused of witchcraft by inhabitants of the village of Little Happens, including characters played by Sinead Matthews, Jim Howick, Paul Kaye and Trevor Cooper. The magistrate Sir Andrew Pike, played by David Warner, has summoned the famed witch-finders Mr Warren and Mr Clarke, played by Shearsmith and Pemberton, to try Elizabeth, but is more concerned with bringing visitors to the village than finding the truth.

The episode was not intended to be a parody of period dramas, but instead to reflect the absurdity of real witch trials. To that end, the characters take the events of the episode seriously, which leads to much of the humour. The writers' influences included Witchfinder General, The Crucible, Monty Python and Hammer Horror films, while the names of the witch-finders were a tribute to the late actor Warren Clarke. Many critics responded positively to the episode, praising the humour—especially that deriving from the use of archaic language—the writing and the performances. Some, however, considered "The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge" of lower quality than the previous two episodes.