Over one hundred wannabe witches have auditioned with the hope of becoming the new Witch of Wookey Hole Caves.
After a gruelling day of auditions the winner has been announced as Anna Dixon from Glastonbury, who impressed judges with her rendition of a famous poem and her impressive cackle.
Anna, 26, will soon be donning her cape and hat to entertain children with her first duties being at the opening of the Halloween season at the famous attraction.
The budding witches had one minute to catch the eye of the judging panel, which included the current witch Sunny Van der Pas, who is leaving the role to set up her own vintage clothing business. Both women and men from all over the UK tried out for the role but it was Anna’s passion for the venue that won the hearts of the judges.
Anna, who works part-time in a pub ,studied improvisation at Dartington College and did a post graduate degree in stage costume design, said the job is a dream come true:
“It has always been my dream to work here, I used to come here every year on my birthday when I was growing up in Batheaston so it means a lot. Having met Sunny today I realise that she will be a tough act to follow.”
The £50,000 (pro rata) job description included being able to cackle, not being allergic to cats and able to work weekends and school holidays.
Wookey Hole general manager Daniel Medley said:
“It was a really tough decision as the standard of contestants was so high. We narrowed it down to four girls but in the end we chose Anna because her personality shone through and we believe she’s going to be a really believable witch for visiting children.”
Among the candidates were a transgender witch from Brighton; trained actresses and performers looking for a regular role and a witch from Glastonbury, who said witchcraft was her philosophy and had been handed down through generations in her family.
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