The Crucible
November 1978
by Arthur Miller, directed by Anne Bacon
Cast: Reverend Parris - Gordon Halliday Betty Parris - Susannah Butt Tituba - Marie Berry Abigail Williams - Angela Beney Susanna Walcott - Jane Spree Mrs. Ann Putnam - Mary Jones Thomas Putnam - Robert Fynn Mercy Lewis - Sally Black Mary Warren - Fenella Gill John Proctor - John Stuart Giles Corey - Roy Wheeler Rebecca Nurse - Miranda Leger Reverend John Hale - Richard Ormond - Elizabeth Proctor - Margaret Butt Francis Nurse - John Spree Ezekial Cheever - Tony Yates Marshal Herrick - David Gill Martha Corey - Janet Cummings Judge Hathorne - Peter English Deputy Governor Danforth - Philip Jones Sarah Good - Miranda Leger Girls - Rachel Browne & Stephanie Perkins | Production Team: Producer - Anne Bacon Stage Manager - Tony Blake Stage Construction - Mike Trout & Barry Matthews Lighting - Kevin Gardner Visual Effects - Bob Clements & Bob Reed Props - Janet Cummings Prompt - Carol Pettit Costume - Lyn Trout, Miranda Leger & John Spree Make-up - Ian Bond Photography & Printing - Don Badger Front of House Managers - Rosemary & Bryan Stephenson |
Reviews:
From Exmouth & East Devon Journal:
Also outstanding was Margaret Butt...
Topsham's Estuary Players gave a powerful performance of Arthur Miller's The Crucible at Matthew's Hall last week.
The play is extremely ambitious for the Players to attempt, but they brought it off beautifully.
It tells the story of the persecution of the witches of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, and provides the cast of 23 with some very tense material for it to get its teeth into.
And the tension was maintained right throughout the play-from the opening scene when the Rev. Parris, extremely well played. by Gordon Halliday, is agitating over his hexed daughter, Betty, to the finale when John Procter is dragged off to be hanged for failing to confess he was influenced by the devil.
It is difficult to single out individual characters from an excellent cast, but Richard Ormond as the Rev. John Hale fitted his part like a glove; Marie Berry gave an outstanding performance as Tituba, the black servant from Barbados; and Angela Beney came across brilliantly as the scheming Abigail, who had all the young girls in the village under her influence.
Humour
Also outstanding was Margaret Butt as the almost self-righteous Elizabeth Proctor, tragically widowed by the hanging of her husband.
Along with Marie Berry, Roy Wheeler, as Giles Corey, provided the occasional flash of humour in an otherwise tense and dramatic production which gripped the audience from beginning to end.
The village girls swayed by the evil Abigail provided some almost spine-chilling moments during the court scenes. Outstanding was Susannah Butt as Betty Parris, daughter of the local cleric.
Producer Anne Bacon must be congratulated on yet another thoroughly good evening's theatre.
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