The Witchfinder review: Some of the finest comedy talents have produced something strangely mediocre

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Somehow, like a usually brilliant wizard on an off day, the BBC has chucked some of the very finest talents into their cauldron of comedy – but produced something mediocre. Key is a very talented comedian, actor and writer, and the role ought to fit him like one of the big floppy Jacobean hats his character likes to wear to intimidate the common folk; but somehow Key doesn’t quite find Bannister’s formidable but nuanced ineptitude. Bannister and Gooch’s journey on horseback and on foot through 1640s East Anglia leads them to encounters with a roll call of some of the best established and emerging talent including Julian Barratt, Tuwaine Barrett, Celeste Dring, Vincent Franklin, Cariad Lloyd, Allan Mustafa, Reece Shearsmith and Ellie White.