newton's cauldronLegend would have it that an apple once fell from a tree, hit someone’s head and helped them discover gravity. As in all such legends, this is almost certainly not true, but in Tim Foley’s new play the familiar fable provides the starting point for a flight of fancy about the battle of progress in the Age of Enlightenment.

It’s Christmas Day 1642, and the birth of a little boy called Isaac Newton looks set to herald a new age of science. Two witches, Wendy (Cara Mahoney) and Wombat (Emma Taylor), foresee that this child also portends the death of magic. So in order to keep their mystical way of living alive, the weird sisters plan weird ways to kill the future scientist. But with every attempt on Isaac’s life, Wendy and Wombat unwittingly shape some of the greatest scientific discoveries as they begrudgingly learn to accept the end of the dark ages.

Newton’s Cauldron revels in its historical inaccuracies, with the two witches inadvertently discovering everything from the internet to cat flaps. It’s a story that wouldn’t look out of place on CBBC and the play’s moral themes and penguin-packet humour make this a piece suitable for audiences young and old. Foley writes with warm humour and his command of scene structure allows him to tell the story with snappy efficiency. But for all its tomfoolery, Newton’s Cauldron is more pleasing than prodigious – and like the invisible broomsticks, it fails to take flight.

The needless blackouts threaten to break the spell of what is otherwise a polished and fast-moving production, but the energetic performances ensure that this dark comedy never drops off, with Mahoney and Taylor combining excellent comic timing with sturdy characterisation.

Some will love the light-heartedness of Newton’s Cauldron, but I’d like to see Foley tackle a subject with a bit more weight.

Newton’s Cauldron is at Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29) until 17 August. For more information and tickets visit the Ed Fringe website.