THE CRUCIBLE

(1994)

What the press said

FEAST ON TALE OF MORAL FIBRE

Mary-Jane Carreyette
Cambridge Evening News 13th April 1994

Moral courage has become depressingly underrated in recession-hit, 90s Britain.  Bawds a group of talented amateur actors drawn from the Cambridge area, put it back centre stage with their powerful presentation of Arthur Miller's celebrated drama.It was refreshing to ponder rights and wrongs, lies and truths, rather than the meaner concerns of modern living, such as gas bills and mortgage repayments.  This tale of a witch craft trial, based on a real one in Massachusetts, is an allegory of Senator Joseph R McCarthy infamous Un-American Activities Committee of the 1950s, when myriad "Reds" were revealed lurking under all manner of unlikely beds.

In this, Colin Lawrence's production for Bawds, Miller's concern at the ensuing climate of political tyranny is to the fore.  In a strongly acted piece, Martin Woodruff stars convincingly as the honest, though far from saintly farmer John Proctor - a man who does know right from wrong, but faces enormous dilemmas. 

The judicial heavies, led by Hugh Mellor as Deputy Governor Danforth, were suitably intimidating and the chief "witch", Suzanne Jones as Abigail Williams, strong and spiteful as the woman spurned.  The witches have a dramatic pivot in the shape of Mary Warren, who changes sides.  Poor Amanda Hall, who plays her, has to weep a lot.  The men also have a dramatic pivot - the over-zealous hellfire-and-brimstone Rev. John Hale, who also changes sides.  Richard Brown made a very good job of him. 

Some of the by-standing, particularly in the dramatic opening sickbed scene, was somewhat wooden, but this was the first night.  Particularly good were the Puritan costumes, which might be expected as they were mostly drawn from the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon.  The sets were good, too.  The only pity was that so few people came to see this enlightening production.  Surely it's the weather or the recession, that's to blame, and not that we really can't be bothered anymore with moral issues?

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