★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Eleanor

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller during the McCarthyist era of 1950s America. It is well known for its themes of godliness, tolerance and justice and has won notable awards in its time. This iteration has been brought to the National Theatre by director and Olivier Award-winner Lyndsey Turner and is currently resident in the West End’s Gielgud Theatre.

This story follows a small community in Salem, Massachusetts. When Reverend Samuel Parris (Nick Fletcher) comes to believe the girls of the village have been claimed by Satan, his niece Abigail (Milly Alcock) is forced to go to extreme lengths to cast blame away from herself and her friends. The Reverend John Hale (Fisayo Akinade) comes as a third party to quell the hysteria, but alongside Judge Hathorne (Henry Everett) and Deputy-Governor Danforth (Matthew Marsh) they only perpetuate the growing fear and anger. As the number of accusations grows, farmer John Proctor (Brian Gleeson) can no longer stand idly by as the witch hunt spirals out of control. When his own wife Elizabeth (Caitlin FitzGerald) is taken for judgement, the events that follow force everyone to consider where true justice and forgiveness come from.

This play works so well as a character-driven piece. Not only is the acting on stage impeccable but all other aspects of the production have been skilfully tailored to intensify this story. I was utterly captivated for its entirety. The Crucible draws you in and you cannot look away.

As you enter the theatre you are instantly struck by sound; the entire stage is framed by a curtain of water falling from the top to the very bottom. This certainly set the mood, creating an eerie atmosphere from the outset. The Gielgud Theatre is an intimate venue, and they certainly use this to their advantage.

As the play opens with the singing of a group hymn you are instantly transported to Salem. The girls gather at the front of the stage and repeat some words of author Arthur Miller, which shows from the outset the power of these women’s collective voice. However, this seemingly empowering moment quickly turns darker. You soon find out that two young girls have fallen sick due to ‘unnatural causes.’ Although this is inexplicable, most of the townsfolk have come to their own conclusions…witchcraft. There were times where the whole audience was amused by the absurdity of the town’s presumptions. For example, Giles (played brilliantly by Karl Johnson) asks the Reverend whether he should be concerned that his wife prefers to read books in the evening than spend time with him. The innocence of this rural community and the lengths they strive to find meaning behind these unrelated events lightened the tone of the play in parts, until the time they lead to real consequences. As the first act plays through, the numbers of the accused are ever-growing and the townsfolk become more wild and gripped by fear. By the interval, you are in no doubt of the clear split between the accusers and the accused and how these tables could quickly turn.

As the second act begins, after again being faced with the darkened stage and the sound of water, the whole audience was clearly enraptured by the plot and how it continued to unfold. The themes of the first half became heightened and the individuals whose fear had come to control them now formed a collective court. You could really feel the tension build, reminding me of a rolling stone speeding down a hill and quickly becoming unstoppable. The humour found in the crazed accusations of the town remained, but now with a layer of greater anxiety for those accused. I was particularly captivated by the scenes where the judges would explain their reasoning. The ending of the play is eerily quiet following a period of movement and chatter on stage. This then leaves you a moment to continue thinking about the actions of the characters and their deeper meaning overall.

The staging of The Crucible is minimal with the four walls of the stage cloaked in black for the duration with only a few key scene changes. The black backdrop is impactful and gives a mysterious and slightly sinister edge to every scene. There is one instance where the sides of the stage lift to show the rolling fields of the countryside but the darkness remains and you still feel very enclosed. You are given no reprieve from the confinement and tension which has been building and continued to build. The lighting (for which Tim Lutkin’s design was nominated for an Olivier) was similarly dark and brooding; a literal and metaphorical darkness looming over Salem which was ever present. This, alongside the use of smoke, allowed characters to appear and disappear seemingly into the darkness. This was used most powerfully when Elizabeth is taken away in chains. But the real genius here came from the sudden moments of bright light or the slow increase of a beam of light which were used to reflect a moment of clarity for a character or to add emphasis to their words. This made these moments feel far more meaningful, or even divinely inspired or observed.

The sound design (composed and arranged by Caroline Shaw) is also incredibly effective. In scenes where the girls are discussed but are not a part of, they slowly appear at the back of the stage shrouded in the darkness and singing quietly. This further emphasises the constant impact of the girl’s actions and how their presence hung over the people of Salem at all times. Although some music is used in the background of some scenes, it was more akin to ambient sounds which often reflected the emotions of the characters: fear, anger, or rising panic. All of these elements (lighting, staging and sound) came together to create something very cohesive which worked in tandem with the story to heighten the emotions of the characters and the reaction of the audience.

The acting by everyone in the cast of The Crucible was of an incredibly high standard. In scenes where the majority of the characters were on stage you were acutely aware of everyone’s emotions and motivations, which is a testament to the impressive talent here. I particularly enjoyed the scenes between John (Brian Gleeson) and Abigail (Milly Alcock). The way they portrayed the characters’ past relationships was subtle and riveting. You quickly came to understand their continued feelings towards each other and how this would impact their actions throughout the play. The individual character arcs are also memorably portrayed. The way Abigail’s fear shifts to a strong resolve and John’s anger converts to surrender is noticeably reflective of each other. This is also the case for Reverend John Hale, who initially brought pain to the people of Salem and later tries to redeem them, and Reverend Samuel Parris, who is very willing to condemn John but becomes desperate to absolve him and in doing so absolve himself. All of these stories are so fully fleshed out, which is impressive both in terms of the acting and the original text.

Overall, The Crucible is a continually impactful play which has been heightened by all aspects of this production. The show successfully explores a number of interesting concepts, such as mob mentality, community infighting and the danger caused by desperate people. All these strands came together to make a genuinely riveting show. The number of stand-out performances cannot be listed here and I would recommend anyone to go and see this production if they can. It is eerie, powerful and certainly a must-see.