Stage: The Crucible

Some plays are revived and revived again and again and it is a testament to the power of Arthur Miller’s classic that as once such work it truly stands the test of time. On one level it is a gripping story of witchcraft, hysteria and fear. Of course Miller wrote it as an allegory, reflecting the fear and hysteria that surrounded that Senator Joseph MacCarthy created in the period of American history that became known as The Second Red Scare, a witch hunt for communists that caused upheaval in the USA and particularly in the film and literary world.

Identity Theatre Company now present Arthur Miller’s blistering and influential play The Crucible at the Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT).

Written in the early 1950s in response to the hysteria of MacCarthyism, The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 1692 Witch Trials a time when paranoia, lies and deceit gripped the Puritan towns of New England, tearing communities apart in a search for those involved in supernatural practices and rituals.

A gripping story of witchcraft, hysteria and fear

Miller captured these events in a gripping story that has certainly earned its status as a modern classic.

And what better time to revisit this enduring piece of theatre than in a world riddled with international mistrust, fake news and judgement by social media?

Following in the footsteps of last year’s BOAT production of Blue Remembered Hills, Identity Theatre promise a physical, site specific re-telling of this powerful tale with beautifully drawn characters, displaying the heights of nobility and depths of duplicity.

As The Crucible is still often referred to in both English and Drama courses, Identity have made an Educational Resource Pack for The Crucible available to download free via their website.

29, 30, 31 Aug, 1 Sept 2018
Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT)
Brighton Open Air Theatre, Dyke Road, Brighton BN3 6EH
6pm for 7pm www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/232834 or via the BOAT website, or on the door.