the Crucible
by Arthur Miller
Curzon Centre, Beaconsfield
19-21 April 1995
What the Press Said
Shining out in silver milestone
. . . this year is the 25th anniversary of The Young Theatre ... over the years their stagecraft and acting ability have increased imeasurably. Now they have, in my view, excelled anything they have ever done in this production of Miller's demanding tragedy... The acting throughout was exemplary, the production by Ian Wallace failed nowhere to evoke tension and emotion - his handling of the courtroom scenes, especially at the climatic screaming of the girls pretending to see a 'spirit' across the room was masterly. This was in every way a notable evening played to an audience whose silence showed their absorbtion in the action. The only trouble is to "follow that" ... what will they do in 2020 ?
Emotional drama is just brilliant!
This brilliant drama was an ideal choice for The Young Theatre's 25th anniversary. There were some outstanding performances from Andy Chatfield ..as Rev. Hale; David Worley ..as John Proctor, and Carla Quelch as his long-suffering wife, Elizabeth. ... and most of the cast coped well with the play's high emotional key ... The imposing beams (of the set) projected into the auditorium ... ... The inclusion of an epilogue from Miller's notes, which I don't think is usually used in performance, rounds it off rather well
