Ruth Sheen

Pity Elizabeth Gadge (Ruth Sheen). After being accused of consorting with the devil, she has to face two of England's most feared witch-finders, Clarke and Warren (Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith). She faces being burned at the stake, and her trial is the most exciting event in Little Happens since "the escaped cow". What unfolds, as the anthology series continues, is essentially a Hammer Horror played for laughs. As dimwitted local bigwig Sir Andrew Pike, David Warner quite brilliantly makes the most of every line he's given.

Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 9th April 2015

Radio Times review

We're back in the 17th century for the trial of Elizabeth Gadge (Mike Leigh favourite Ruth Sheen), an old crone accused of witchcraft by her own flesh and blood. The trial bodes well for local bigwig Sir Andrew Pike (David Warner), keen to attract visitors to the dismal village of Little Happens, whose sole attractions hitherto have been the green, a duck and a bench. Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton play dual witchfinders, Mr Warren and Mr Clarke. (See what they did there?)

The loose anthology format certainly allows them to indulge their passions and peccadillos, here mining the Vincent Price classic, Witchfinder General, for flavour and chuckles. From the start, the arch performances call to mind a League of Gentlemen sketch where they dismissed a DVD movie for having "too much actinggg", but this dark tale soon works a devilish spell.

Patrick Mulkern, Radio Times, 9th April 2015

Tonight's macabre tale is totally different from anything that has gone before in this series, but it is equally accomplished and very, very funny. In an inspired pastiche of a 17th-century witch trial, Sir Andrew Pike (David Warner) has summoned two of England's most notorious witch finders, named Mr Warren and Mr Clark in tribute to the late actor, to try a defenceless old woman (Ruth Sheen) accused of consorting most lewdly with the devil. "Let us at least hear the testimony of the poor old crone," says Clarke, "before we reward ourselves with gold for burning her to death." It's like a long-lost Monty Python sketch, only better.

David Chater, The Times, 9th April 2015