The Crucible
The play was first performed in January 1953 at the Martin Beck Theatre, New York. The British premiere was at the Bristol Old Vic in 1954.
The play paralleled the investigations of the House of Un-American Activities Committee in the USA in the 1950’s – a communist witch-hunt in which Arthur Miller and many of his friends became embroiled. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of the McCarthy trials and based the story upon the 17th century witch hunts that took place in the Puritan community of Salem, near Boston, Massachusetts.
In Salem a group of teenage girls are found dancing in the woods. Dancing is forbidden in this Puritan community. Mysteriously, many of the girls fall ill with supposed hallucinations and seizures and suspicion falls on Tituba, a black slave, who is thought to dabble in the ‘black arts’. Soon accusations of witchcraft fill the village, fuelled by Abigail Williams, the girls’ ringleader, who with Tituba accuses various townsfolk of conspiring with the devil. The community is beset with jealousies and bitter quarrelling and deeply held grudges rise to the surface. Local farmer, John Proctor, suspects Abigail of being a fraud, but is afraid to denounce her as he had an affair with her when she was working at his house and he fears for his good name. Jealous and vindictive, Abigail accuses Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth of dealing with the devil and she is arrested. Finally John does what he believes is right, is himself accused and he is executed. The behaviour of the people of Salem results in tragedy and the community is left with its conscience in tatters.
Show dates: 27/09/2017 - 30/09/2017
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Cast and Crew
| Group | Role | Member Name |
|---|---|---|
| Cast | John Proctor | Kevin Hardacre |
| Cast | Elizabeth Proctor | Julia Gear-Evans |
| Cast | Abigail Williams | Danielle Clark |
| Cast | Deputy-Governor Danforth | Rob Trayhurn |
| Cast | Tituba | Aileen Thomasson |
| Cast | Judge Hathorne | Glynn Webster |
| Cast | Ann Putman | Sharon Edmonds |
| Cast | Rebecca Nurse | Catriona Eagle |
| Cast | Francis Nurse | Terence Ricketts |
| Cast | Mercy Lewis | Kate Horbury |
| Production Team | Director | Lois Harbinson |
| Production Team | Producer | Graham Brown |
| Crew | Sound | Adrian Mitchell |
| Crew | Lighting | Graham Brown |
| Crew | Props | Lesley Ricketts |
| Crew | Prompt | Freda Brown |
| Crew | Make Up | Helen Makin |
| Crew | Make Up | Julie Makin |
| Cast | Reverend John Hale | Adam Lanfranchi |
| Publicity | Adam Lanfranchi | |
| Programme | Adam Lanfranchi | |
| Cast | Reverend Parris | Peter Gilchrist |
| Cast | Mary Warren | Lydia Stobie-Owen |
| Cast | Ezekiel Cheever | Ewan Wyatt |
| Cast | Thomas Putman | Martyn Jessop |
| Cast | Betty Parris | Erin Webster |
| Cast | Giles Corey | Bernie Mundy |
| Set | Set Design | Emma Lanfranchi |
| Cast | Susanna Walcott | Elisha Webster |
| Production Team | Photography | Greg Trezise |
| Production Team | Stage Manager | Emma Lanfranchi |