Staging the 'Great Delusion'

When Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1952 he intended to create an allegory of the McCarthy anti-communist ‘Witchhunts’ that had led to him being dragged before the House of Representatives' Committee on Un-American Activities. He was convicted of Contempt of Congress for refusing to identify people who had been at meetings he had attended.

The connection between these incidents and the events in Salem in 1692 is obvious, but even now, fifty years after the era of McCarthy, The Crucible still resonates with audiences. The terrible story of Salem is one that will always frighten and appall. Ultimately, it makes us realise that beneath our veneer of civilisation we might all, given the right circumstances, be capable of the worst atrocities. We all know how the people of Germany turned a blind eye to the crimes of the Nazis, how Russians remained silent while Stalin murdered his enemies and countless other outrages all over the world and throughout history that have been allowed to happen right under the noses of apparently decent people. It’s a terrible thought to imagine being a John Proctor or Rebecca Nurse but a far worse one to wonder if, in the same situation, we might turn out to be an Abigail Williams, a Reverend Parris or a Thomas Putnam.

We are about to stage Miller’s great play in the Garrick Studio theatre; a very small and intimate place to perform. I intend to stage it with the minimum of set, props and gimmicks to let the power of the play speak for itself. This is a play about the subtleties of performance and I’m very lucky to have such a superb ensemble cast to bring it to life. The magic of Arthur Miller’s plays is his ability to make characters seem convincing and real. Every part in The Crucible matters. Every character is complete and has something crucial to add to the unfolding drama.

I feel very privileged to be directing this great play. It isn’t an opportunity that comes along very often. I hope you enjoy (if that’s the right word) watching Miller’s brilliant vision of Salem’s ‘Great Delusion’ as much as I’m enjoying bringing it to the stage.

David Stonehouse