Cast in order of
appearence
Louis
Antonio Magro
Mike
Enzo Squillino Jr
Alfieri
Allan Corduner
Eddie
Ken Stott
Catherine
Hayley Atwell
Beatrice
Mary
Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Marco
Gerard Monaco
Tony
John Moraitis
Rodolpho
Harry Lloyd
Production team
Director
Lindsay Posner
Designer
Christoper Oram
Lighting
Peter Mumford
Composer
Adam Cork
Casting Director
Amy Ball
Dialect Coach
Penny Dyer
Fight Director
Terry King
|
A View from the Bridge
by Arthur Miller
Richmond Theatre
26 - 30 May 2009
A small, dingy apartment in 1950s Brooklyn is the setting for this claustrophobia-inducing character study of a deeply flawed longshoreman, Eddie Carbone (Ken Stott). Almost a one-man tour de force by Stott, graphically depicting Eddie’s breakdown in the face of losing his ward Catherine and ultimately betraying his countrymen in order to try to retain her, his foils are less aptly portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as his long-suffering wife Beatrice and Hayley Atwell as his niece and ward, Catherine. The minor characters, including Catherine’s suitor Rodolpho (played by a convincing Harry Lloyd) have their roles to play, but this is Eddie’s story from beginning to end.
Eddie never flags in trying to re-affirm his role as master of the household, and the weak but good-intentioned Beatrice is shrill yet ineffective in trying to bring him to reason. Catherine, a blossoming 17 year old, wants to make her own decisions and live an independent life, but is still drawn to and somewhat in awe of her guardian. The love and affection between them is evident, but somehow Atwell seems to be trying too hard to affect the frivolities and wilfulness of a teenager beginning to discover her own mind and the power she holds over men.
Eddie doesn’t know how to cope with the inevitable loss of his young charge and resorts to character assassination, self-pity and rage towards all around him. Giving refuge to two illegal immigrants (“submarines”) is the first step towards his downfall, and having the two young Italians in his home adds another dimension to the loss of control he faces on his own territory. Betrayal, coercion and murder are the tragic outcomes.
Echoes of Miller’s other plays, notably The Crucible and Death of A Salesman are evident, particularly in the themes of betrayal and lack of respect the main characters face. A View From the Bridge is possibly one of the more difficult to stage due to its demands on the actors and the relative thinness of the storyline compared to Miller’s two theatrical masterpieces. While Stott deserves kudos for his heart-wrenching portrayal of a man in denial, I remember a weightier yet more vulnerable Eddie in Michael Gambon for the National Theatre in the late 1980s.
The story is punctuated by several scenes of violence, not altogether convincingly staged in this production directed by Lindsay Posner. I expected to be moved by the play, and I was, but somehow there was something lacking, despite some excellent acting, great lighting design and more than adequate set. The whole didn’t seem to gel: perhaps this was partially due to some overplayed accents. Still, a fine play, if not Miller’s greatest work, and well worth seeing.
Chris Brody
|
|
