"The Crucible" by Arthur Miller.
Nottingham Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA).Bonington Theatre, Arnold.
Written in 1953 and based on the Salem Witch trials of Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. In a small tight-knit community, personal grievances clash with lust and superstition, fuelling widespread hysteria. Miller’s classic story attacks the evils of mindless persecution and the power of false accusations.
The play isn’t wholly about supernatural happenings that may, or may not have happened in this period of history, but also about human manipulation of the mind of their fellow man.
Making someone believe in something non fact based can be a very dangerous thing, which is also why there are so many comparisons with the political world since and currently. The power of the mind is a dangerous thing!
It’s also about power, lust, respect and love as well as unfounded belief; an intoxicating blend. Fact is swirled with fiction and it’s well documented that Miller did his research well before writing this literary classic, which still stands up with the best of today’s theatrical works.
In reality this cast cannot be dissected for their individual merits because, as a whole cast, they are superb and so passionate at delivering this script. Miller's script, in my eyes, has never been delivered with such energy by such a young cast. The hatred, as well as the fear that these lines hold are released with such meaning and intent, that at times you forget that this is a play you're watching, and grow quite fearful for some of the actors on stage, almost like watching bear baiting.
Cohen Taylor plays John Proctor, the play's tragic hero. Honest, upright, and blunt-spoken, Proctor is a good man, but one with a secret, fatal flaw. His lust for Abigail Williams led to their affair (which occurs before the play begins), and created Abigail’s jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth, which sets the entire witch hysteria in motion. Cohen is one of those very confident actors who really gets under the skin of the role he is playing. I remember Cohen from last year's "And Then There Were None" as a young speed demon; this year's role couldn't be more diverse in character.
Abigail Williams is played by Melody Rhodes. Williams is the villain of the play, more so than Parris or Danforth: she tells lies, manipulates her friends and the entire town, and eventually sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths. Throughout the hysteria, Abigail’s motivations never seem more complex than simple jealousy and a desire to have revenge on Elizabeth Proctor. My favourite scene with Melody is her impassioned scene with Cohen as John Proctor; pure emotion from both.
Elizabeth Proctor is played by Matilda Stapleton. Elizabeth is faithful, in every sense of the word, to her husband, John, as well as deeply caring and sensitive, if still hurting from what has happened to her. John had an affair with Abigail when she was a servant in the Proctors’ household. Matilda has a lovely way with Elizabeth, playing the loyal wife, not wanting to drop anyone in it (too much).
Reverand Parris is played by Dominic Tomlinson. Parris is the minister of Salem’s church. He is a paranoid, power-hungry, but self-pitying figure. Many of the Salem townsfolk, especially John Proctor, dislike him, and Parris is very concerned with building his position in the community. It's always nerve racking to open a scene at the start of the play, but I don't think nerves are in Dominic's vocabulary. There's so much energy and passion with Dominic's acting, which makes him such a believable character to buy into.
Reverand John Hale, a young minister reputed to be an expert on witchcraft, is called in to Salem to examine Parris’s daughter Betty. Hale is a committed Christian and hater of witchcraft. His arrival sets the hysteria in motion, although he later regrets his actions and attempts to save the lives of those accused. Hale is played by Ged Watson, who has a wonderful way of delivering his script, which isn't the easiest I must say, but the passion in that delivery really makes you believe every word that is uttered by Ged.
Sophenya Mannering plays Mary Warren, the servant in the Proctor household and a member of Abigail’s group of girls. She is a timid girl, easily influenced by those around her, who tried unsuccessfully to expose the hoax. Hannah brings out the fear that Mary has in her soul, especially during the second half of the play.
Judge Danforth, played by Hal Watson, is the deputy governor of Massachusetts and the presiding judge at the witch trials. Honest and scrupulous, at least in his own mind, Danforth is convinced that he is doing right in rooting out witchcraft. Hal has a great way of line delivery, even when using a book as a prop, as well as a prompt. There aren't many young actors who can make a script sound as natural and delivered with realism, in the way Hal did this afternoon.
Judge Hathorne is a judge who presides, along with Danforth, over the witch trials. John Clarke releases the almost power-crazy side of Hathorne in his characterisation of the second in line Judge.
Giles Corey is an elderly but feisty farmer in Salem, famous for his tendency to file lawsuits. Giles’s wife, Martha, is accused of witchcraft, and he himself is eventually held in contempt of court and dies an uncomfortable death due to sticking to his guns. Corey is played by Kieran Rhodes who delivered a passionate performance.
Lexie Garrett plays Ann Putnam.
Rebecca Nurse is played by Polly Edwards. Rebecca is Francis Nurse’s wife, a wise, sensible, and upright woman, held in tremendous regard by most of the Salem community. However, she falls victim to hysteria when the Putnams accuse her of witchcraft and she refuses to confess.
Betty Parris is played by Brie Gooch. Betty is Reverend Parris’s ten-year-old daughter who falls into a strange stupor after Parris catches her and the other girls dancing in the forest with Tituba. Her illness and that of Ruth Putnam fuel the first rumors of witchcraft.
Mercy Lewis is played by Ellie Gibson, one of the girls in Abigail's group.
Allana Taylor-White plays Tituba, Reverend Parris’s black slave from Barbados. Only a minor role but Allana's subservient character acting is completely convincing. .
Susanna Walcott is played by Vanessa .
Directed by Kirk and Bex Mannering. When a production is as tight, energetic, emotive and passionate as this, there are no more words to say apart from "Thank You". The production started off on a high and stayed there throughout, keeping me, who has seen this Miller classic in the past, on the edge of my seat.
I thought last year's "And Then There Were None" was good, but this production is just incredible, especially when you think of the subject matter, the way the script is written and how it should be delivered, this young cast are acting way beyond their years; I've seen adult productions of the play that fall below this quality of drama.
There may have been a few little nerves from some at the start where projection could have been better, but I could tell that any nerves soon exited stage right and left and the projection was spot on from all. And I've already noted this, from every actor on that stage, but the passion in the delivery, and complete understanding of the script is simply scintillating.
This production is only being performed twice with an evening performance at 7.30 today, Saturday 19 September.
