The Crucible – Woolton Drama Group at St James’ Hall, Woolton

Whilst Arthur Miller’s 1953 play dramatises the true story of the horrific with hunts in Salem, Massachusetts at the end of the 17th century, at its time of writing it was an allegory of the anti-Communist persecutions in post-World War 2 McCarthy era USA. That it remains an accurate reflection of the fashion and fad culture of today reinforces the idiom that rather than learn from history we continue to make the same mistakes.

Act I sets the background to the play and to the mischief which will become frenzy as the sanity of this God-fearing community is broken down with the upright Reverend Pariss (Andrew Parsons) and the Putnams (Curtis McGuinness and Georgina Anwyl) waiting expectantly on his afflicted daughter Betty (Razz Cadman). The arrival of Giles Corey (Zoran Blackie), Reverend Hale (Aslan Herzen), and Rebecca Nurse (Heather Robinson), offers a temporary reprieve before Mercy Lewis (Rachel Pennington) and Tituba (Samra Uddin) add fuel to the fire of the sweetly bedevilling Abigail Williams (Holli Wilson) who begins to play, and not only with her former employer John Proctor (Mike Silverman), at whose home things are already beginning to unravel for wife Elizabeth (Teri Duffy) and Mary Warren (Beth Easton). Francis Nurse (Ken Allen) provides a hint of sanity before Ezekiel Cheever (George Oldfield) arrives to do the court’s bidding.

Act II finds us at the Meeting House, dominated by Deputy-Governor Danforth (Paul Arends) and Judge Hathorne (Johnny Andrew) with assistance from court officials (Laura Foulkes and Kimberly Simms), as we come close, but no more than that, to unravelling the truth with their interrogation of Martha Corey (Robinson). The re-emergence of the young girls, now including Susanna Walcott (Sarah Garvey), sees the orchestration of fear, ably conducted by Abigail, confronting people with the choice of confess or hang: the appearance of Sarah Good (Lydia Windrow) leads John Proctor to make the right decision.

A High Court Judge once told me that there was no such thing as justice, only fact and the law’s interpretation of it: ne’er a truer word said, and when you’ve seen this play you’ll better appreciate how easily miscarriages of justice occur.

The simplicity of the set design allowed strong acting to come to the fore and this powerful tale to be told, with costumes (Amy McDowell, Herzen, Robinson) providing a real sense of place which the venue itself and some interweaving choral music reinforced. It can be a challenge to accommodate a large cast in such an intimate venue, but director Peter Andrew’s staging and blocking worked well.  Inevitably with any community theatre production, some cast will be more experienced than others but on the whole the balance was about right. Accents are an all or nothing to me and that did split the cast a little: I’d have happily set the play in Salem, Woolton and just let them get on with it.

A special mention for Heather Robinson who had to read in one of her roles tonight due to cast illness and performed admirably. Our best wishes to Michelle Connell with her recovery from Covid.

Woolton Drama Group has been putting on shows for over 60 years and there is always room for more people to get involved in both performance and backstage roles, further details www.wooltondramagroup.co.uk

The Crucible plays for two further nights on 19th and 20th August at St James’ Hall, Woolton, with performances starting at 19:30. Tickets are priced at £7 (£5) and available via www.ticketsource.co.uk/woolton-drama-group

Reviewer: Mark Davoren

Reviewed: 18th August 2022

North West End UK Rating: ★★★