The Crucible, Old Vic *****

Richard Armitage and the cast of the Crucible

From the outset, Miller's Crucible at the Old Vic was clear to be an outstanding piece of theatre. The dark atmosphere was almost tangible during the opening scene. I thought 3hrs 30mins would bore me but I was so riveted that at the end I still wanted to see more. Faber stages it perfectly with lighting which makes the disturbing events seem even more terrifying and, unlike many west end shows, I could not pick one actor who performed less than a five star performance. However, whilst Armitage's Proctor is stunning, it is the Reverand Hale (Adrian Schiller) who really affected me the most. His fall from grace reminded me of Gillian Anderson's Blanche in Streetcar. His performance in the last scene left me with a tear in my eye. Whilst I am not convinced performances in the round work, this is a near- perfect rendition of Miller's classic giving his parable on the Mcarthy era into the modern age.