Tuesday 10 October 2017

“All My Sons” by Arthur Miller
Nottingham Playhouse
Arthur Miller’s play is the story about family secrets, the unintended consequences of actions and how, in trying to look after our own, we can destroy them and ourselves. It’s also a compelling story of love, guilt and the corrupting power of greed.
Joe Keller is a thriving businessman who, during World War 2, knowingly supplied the American air force with defective engines, leading to the deaths of innocent pilots. To avoid the blame, he let his business partner take the fall, but on a Sunday afternoon Joe is confronted by the consequences of his moral actions as a visitor arrives to reveal a secret that will rip his family apart.
This is one intense play and two adages immediately spring to mind when describing tonight. "You could cut the atmosphere with a knife" and "you could hear a pin drop", both very fair descriptions of the tense
atmosphere at the Playhouse.
Sean Chapman (Joe Keller) is a wonderful character builder and as we go through the play he unintentionally lays himself bare and the truth is finally out in an explosive big reveal.
Cary Crankson (Chris Keller) has a talented ear for accents and his Brooklyn accent is unwavering throughout this passionate performance.
Kammy Darweish (Dr Jim Bayliss) provides some often needed lighter moments in some of his speeches about his hypochondriac patients.
Sasha Frost (Lydia Lubey) also adds some more upbeat characterisation as the young neighbour with three kids who is innocent to the goings on in the world, or how to use a toaster!
Ben Lee (George Deever) makes an appearance in Act Two and, albeit just a short appearance, he's the one who lights the blue touchpaper!
Caroline Loncq (Kate Keller) plays the mother and it's her motherly instincts and loyalty to her family which makes this character so endearing. She also likes to control her family as well as protect them. It's her over protectiveness though that helps unravel Joe's downfall.
Patrick Osborne (Frank Lubey). Frank's a harmless man with no understanding of the world beyond his backyard but has a big interest in horoscopes, which is an important piece of the play.
Shauna Shim (Sue Bayliss) Sue doesn't like Chris as he's seen as a bad influence on her doctor husband, and she'd prefer that Ann take Chris away after they get married. This causes tension between Sue and Ann.
Eva-Jane Willis (Ann Deever). Ann is the former fiancée of the dead Larry Keller. A little while after Larry's death, she and Chris started writing each other letters. At his request, she returns to the Keller home, all grown up and beautiful. Chris wants to marry her, and she wants to marry him. They just have to figure out how to break it to Kate and Joe. Eva's character is feisty and definitely has a mind of her own, as we see at the end.
Felix Findley played Bert, the neighbourhood kid who pops round the Kellers. Felix is one of three child actors playing the same role.
Directed by Fiona Buffini, she keeps the atmosphere and tension, at times at fever pitch with a lovely gradual build up of the story on Act One leading to the explosive ending of Act Two.
Set Designer was Dorrie Scott and this is the first thing that hits you as you walk through the auditorium doors. A very stylised set that brings a modern touch to an old classic Miller story.
I was kept transfixed to the stage and actors but I only have one little downer. There's a scene where a slap to the face is called for. This was, from where I was sitting, not executed as well as it could have been as there was a massive gap between the hand and the face. And did I miss the sound of the slap? Just needs to be choreographed, or executed better for more realism. Apart from that, i loved this play with it's slow burn story.
“All My Sons” is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 21 October 2017.

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