Currently playing at the Old Vic, London, until September. I saw it last night. The critics have raved about it, and about Armitage's performance, and the hype is well deserved. An amazing theatrical experience, phenomenal. A thrilling, scary, heart-breaking production of an immensely powerful play.

Richard was magnificent as John Proctor: in the final, heart-shattering scenes, Proctor achieves a broken yet majestic greatness, and so does his wife Elizabeth, wonderfully played by Anna Madeley. My heart broke for them. Samantha Colley was a sizzling Abigail, drunk with her new-found power. The rest of the cast were all absolutely brilliant too. What a chilling masterpiece this play is. It works on so many levels, and has so much resonance for today. This review in the Telegraph sums up my opinion perfectly:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/thea ... iller.html

The director, Yaël Farber, knew what she was about: in one scene, Proctor strips to the waist in order to wash himself after a day's farming. (Hellooooooo, fangirls!) I had a very nice view of Richard's back. Well, honestly, why not.

But that aside: this was electrifying, emotionally shattering theatre. Wow.

Long running time: the play began at 7:30 and ended at 11:00!! Absolutely riveting from beginning to end.

[Oh, and seeing this makes up for not being able to get tickets for Kate Bush's sold-out concert. Which has got amazing reviews this morning!]

_________________
"Frodo undertook his quest out of love - to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could ... "
Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Avatar by goldlighticons on Live Journal