A View From The Bridge, Tron Theatre Review
Written by Kathryn for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge marks the directorial debut of Jemima Levick at the Tron Theatre Company.
Written in the 1950s, A View from the Bridge is a timeless classic with themes that still resonate in our communities today.
The play follows the Carbone family. We meet dockworker Eddie (Mark Holgate), his wife Beatrice (Nicole Cooper) and their seventeen-year-old niece Catherine (Holly Howden Gilchrist). They receive news that Beatrice’s cousins Marco (Reuben Joseph) and Rodolpho (Michael Guest) are due to arrive on a ship from Italy and hope to remain in the US illegally – working at the docks to send money back to their family.
Eddie is reluctant to let Catherine grow up, expressing concern about her starting work and socialising with people outside their community. The tension within the family is heightened further as Catherine and Rodolpho begin a relationship, and Eddie’s desire to keep Catherine close turns into something far more sinister.
With the story narrated by lawyer Alfieri (Nicolas Karimi), there is almost an impending sense of doom from the very beginning.
I knew nothing about this play, the characters or their relationships going in, and immediately from the very first scene, I felt uncomfortable with the relationship between Eddie and Catherine. Initially, I couldn’t figure out how they were related, as their body language suggested a romantic connection, but this didn’t quite tie up with the dialogue between them. The direction from Levick is exceptional here, with many small subtle gestures between the pair that could seem innocent at first glance but really have a much darker subtext. Catherine acts as a catalyst for Eddie’s downward spiral, moving him towards the madness that sees him eventually turn on his immigrant guests.
All the cast gave stellar performances with a special mention owed to Holly Howden Gilchrist who is still in her final year of drama school. The blend of more experienced actors with new, fresh talent across the piece was welcoming to see.
Alex Lowe’s set design featured a simple open-fronted shipping container to act as the family home, sparsely furnished with garden chairs and crates. I also want to highlight the work by Fight Director EmmaClaire Brightlyn – sometimes physical violence on stage can feel very staged, but the violence shown especially towards the end of the play felt so authentic that I physically squirmed in my seat. It felt very real and almost uncomfortable to witness.
I was a bit confused about when the piece was set, as the costumes were too modern to be set in a 1950s dockyard, but on reflection, this just highlights how the same themes of immigration, poverty and cultural integration are still relevant to society today. I also struggled slightly with sound levels; some lines spoken quietly by the actors were unable to be heard in the back half of the theatre.
Overall, this is a fantastic production that delivers from beginning to end. As a debut production for Levick I can only be excited for the future of the Tron Theatre which feels very safe in her hands.
A View from the Bridge is playing at the Tron Theatre until Saturday 15 March.
★★★★
