Welcome to our press-preview of The Crucible’ it says on my neatly stapled, colour printed Press Preview Pack from the director, handed to me with a handshake and a warm smile. ‘Would you like a tea or a coffee? There’s already a glass of water on the table for you.’
The cast are there in full costume looking composed: they must have already done their warm-up so as not to keep the reviewer waiting. How considerate. This term will be the touchstone for St. Hilda’s drama society as they put on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.
Superbly directed by Alicia Luba, powerfully acted by a cast of 24 and also staged in the Jacqueline Du Pre auditorium, a hidden gem, this production has everything going for it and more. They have nearly two weeks left of rehearsals, and they’re doing a full costume press preview with confidence and vigour.
The play deals with issues of betrayal, accusation and hysteria set in the Puritanical town of Salem during the time of the witch-hunts. Miller’s narrative is imbued with catharsis and the play is two and a half hours long – a difficult one to pull off – but Alice Fletcher’s performance as Elizabeth Proctor was as stirring as it was convincing and kept me engrossed throughout. Great British restraint was charmingly adopted by Charlie Trew, playing John Proctor, and by the end when the witch trials accuse this goodly and godly man of being one himself, Trew’s defiant downfall and courageous martyrdom is entirely moving.
The starlight is not all cast by the main actors, either. The Judge (Hannah Schneiders) is foreboding, menacing, someone who could be a baddy in Star Wars; Abigail Williams is a treacherous and flirtatious tart in pilgrim’s clothing, everything makes this production stand-out, and I wholly believe that with or without feedback from student paper reviewers these dramatists will be fantastic on their opening night.
There are those who wish to have press previews and those who don’t. But if there is one thing this press preview proved, it is that press previews can be done well. St. Hilda’s reminded this reviewer that the press preview surely was invented not to fuel reciprocal loathing between reviewers and performers but to provide the first look into the weeks, and often months, of effort that goes into every Oxford play.
The Hilda Players were ready to perform, to be judged, to be criticised, and good on them, I was grateful for the experience. The cherry on the top is that they also looked like they were enjoying it, which ultimately is the point of student theatre, no?
I was the only reviewer who came to Hilda’s impressive recital and they gave it their all and I was left humbled. Thanks for the preview, guys, and break a leg.
