Theatre Royal, York – until 12th October 2019
Reviewed by Katie Goldsbrough
4****
Going in to this play I knew very little about the story, but knowing it was written by Arthur Miller I could guarantee it was going to be a good and this version did not disappoint.
This production sees Nicholas Karimi take on the role of Eddie, a hardworking man who would do anything for his family and just wants to help out Marco (Reuben Johnson) and his brother Rodolpho (Pedro Leandro) when they come over from Sicily looking for jobs to send money home to their suffering family. Things begin to take a turn for the worse as Rodolpho grows closer to Eddie’s niece Catherine (Lili Miller), Eddie does not approve. Eddie’s family life with his wife Beatrice (Laura Pyper) and Catherine begins to fall apart and disaster befalls them.
There is some brilliant acting throughout the play, you really believe Karimi could be someone his family could be afraid of, his character develops throughout, with things escalating quickly in the second act to the climax, Karimi does a great job of making you both despise Eddie for his actions but somehow still empathise with him until the end as deep down he is trying to do the best thing for his family.
We are regularly updated by Eddie’s lawyer, taking on a narrator type role, played by Robert Pickavance. This helps to introduce the characters and keep the audience updated throughout the production on things we may not otherwise have known, this only adds to the story so is a nice addition and a good way to open the play.
Another standout performance comes from Laura Pyper, often more a background character she captures the audience and stands out from the rest. The set was cleverly done, almost entirely set in the main characters small apartment, it was all very basic but worked very well. Nothing more was needed for the story. There were smoke machines for the duration of the play really adding to the smoky 1950’s Brooklyn atmosphere.
This is a play that will keep you on the edge of your seat, at the interval you will speculating as to what will happen next, you might not be far off, but the ending will still be a surprise.
Whether a fan of Arthur Miller’s previous work or a first time viewer, this would be a fantastic play to see with lots of twists and turns and an action packed shocking final scene.