3 MAY 2024 - The Crucible

Unveiling The Crucible: A Timeless Tale of Truth, Power, and Consequence!

🧦😊😎🥳

What do these emoji mean?

The story itself is problematic, in that it works towards the absolution of a mans guilt over his crimes against women, to focus his own honour against the strict religious state he find himself trapped in. In addition to a number of plot holes.

Beyond that, the performances are top-tier, John Proctor may have been the most heavily promoted character in terms of advertising, but by no means was he the most note-worthy.

Not least that of Abigail Williams as the real lead character despite being framed as the antagonist against John Proctor.

However, in the moment I was fully caught up in John Proctors case for himself and his wife.

Coming back to writing theatre thoughts after two years I’m not sure the following questions are particularly useful, but none-the-less.

How did the show as a whole make you feel?

• Anger, towards the church and state intertwinement that allows such lunacy to happen.
• Frustration, that while the focus of much of the story is on the women, they are a minor back-drop in the struggle of John Proctors self righteousness.
• Sad, that the character of reason and justice in Reverend John Hale is essentially ignored by everyone, I assume he is the voice of the audience.
• Impressed, at how well the cast played off each others energy.

What did you think it was about?

I could read into it a number of ways, I would like to believe it is an attempt to expose the madness of the history of Salem in a way that made sense at the time it was written.

Weather or not the witchcraft was real makes little difference to the story, which is quite remarkable.

What was your most memorable part?

When Abigail Williams screams in court during Act II and points to the ceiling, I had to fight hard no to look up (I failed, and did look up eventually, just to check).

Did you fall asleep?

No, but my bum did, those seats are baaaad.

Any notable mentions?

I don’t have the cast list handy, but the talent in the production is outstanding, particularly that of the female characters who deserved much more stage time and credits.