Review: Spell-binding performance at Samarès

Thursday 05 July 2018

A warm summer’s evening was made chilling by the impressive performances of the Samarès Players in their production of Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’.

Carrying off an almost completely uncut version of Miller’s classic play about the Salem witchcraft trials is no easy feat, but this cast most definitely rose to the challenge with the help of shrewd direction by Jacqui Audrain.

‘The Crucible’ is set in a small, rural town of Salem, Massachusetts, where the accusations of a group of young girls fascinated with the dark arts result in the execution of 20 innocent people.

Although the performers were all dressed in black and white, their performances were far from that as they brought nuance, intelligence and clarity to the heft of Miller’s prestige and the density of his text.

Alice Bravery brought the sinister Abigail Williams, a young woman seeking revenge on her married former lover, to life with unsettling mastery. Bravery’s portrayal was not only persuasive, but electrifying – giving potent meaning to the phrase, "if looks could kill".

Pictured: Alice Bravery as Abigail Williams and Jyothi Nayyar playing Mary Warren, who both gave excellent performances on the opening night of 'The Crucible'.

In a play which scrutinises the complexed intersections and crises of masculinity and femininity, it was only fitting that Bravery’s command of the stage was matched by the stoical Guy Browning as the adulterous John Proctor. Browning was both authoritative and vulnerable in equal measure, bringing swagger to village disputes and tenderness to scenes with his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, played by the effortlessly watchable Caroline Stone. 

Jyothi Nayar's charismatic and mesmerising portrayal of the unhinged Mary Warren allowed for subtlety in a role that could so easily become caricatured. 

The talents of those in main roles were only elevated by the strength of the ensemble as a whole, from the poised performance of Chris Stone as Reverend Hale to the mischievous coven of girls played by several young but promising actresses (Clara Baines, Roseanna Le Conte, Jaz Harley and Estelle Joynt).

WATCH: The opening scene of the Samarès Players' production of Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible', directed by Jacqui Audrain.

This complicated and often intense play benefitted from the unpretentious staging design, and the decision not to do American accents allowed for the prowess of the performers to be the sole focus. 

‘The Crucible’ is on every evening until Sunday. Tickets are £14 (£8 students) and are available from the Jersey Arts Centre Box Office on 01534 700444 or on the door at Samarès Manor. Picnicking is from 18:00 each evening or the Herb Garden Café is open for food before the show.