Review: A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Rose Theatre

Immigration and adapting (or not) to a new homeland is as current a topic as it has ever been. In Arthur Miller’s 1955 play A View From The Bridge, we see the difficulties in casting off centuries of inherited tradition to adapt to a new social structure. Holly Race Roughan’s thrilling production brings out all the nuance and emotion of the text. It feels as fresh as it does familiar.

The resonance continues with the collapse of the American dream and the play’s portrayal of toxic masculinity; the macho world of the dock workers where the old ways of omerta and vendetta clashes with the new requirements for obeying the American law of the land.

Miller’s tale of self-destruction focuses on Eddie Carbone, an second generation Italian-American who agrees to shelter two illegal Sicilian immigrants in his home. As he struggles inappropriate feelings for his niece, he betrays his family through a spiral of jealousy and rage in a slow-motion tragedy.

Jonathan Slinger presents a remarkable study of flawed masculinity as Eddie; he never loses our sympathy as he veers into possessive confusion. His desire for respect means he loses all perspective. Eddie is a confused and confusing character, but Slinger brings out all the complexity of the role, with his worn out, rumpled and world-weary air. His Brooklyn accent occasionally slips, but it’s not enough to distract from the intensity of his performance.

Rachelle Diedericks is both innocent and determined as niece Catherine; she ably shows the internal struggles between her new love for Rodolpho, one of the charismatic cousins, and her loyalty to a man who has effectively been a father to her.

Kirsty Bushell is spell-binding as wife Beatrice, with an immaculate accent; in love with her husband, but also desperate to avoid the tragedy she can see so clearly coming down the line. Bushell shows the inevitability of the tragedy that Beatrice is as trapped in this world as Eddie.

Marco and Rodolpho are played with sincerity by Tommy Sim’aan and Luke Newberry. Sim’aan has less to do as Marco, but is entirely credible as a man doing everything he can for his young family. Newberry is a day-dreaming Rodolpho who tantilises us with the possibility that he really loves Catherine, or is he just after a passport?

This production marks the first time that the Miller estate has given permission for the role of lawyer Alfieri to be played by a woman, bringing a new take on the role. Nancy Crane, on stage throughout, acts as a narrator and pricks Eddie’s conscience but also shows how she feels she has let him down.

Moi Tran’s black and red set is striking with overtly shiny surfaces and bright neon, giving a noir-like resonance, but also reminiscent of a downtown strip joint. The two-tiered setup works well in the open space of the Rose, enabling movement and interest.

Race Roughan slows the pace, perhaps a little too much, in Act one, but rapidly ramps up the tension in Act two, so an atmosphere of claustrophobia and dread is imbued in the air. An odd decision is to have a dockworker performing balletic moves across the stage at various intervals. Is it a representation of Eddie’s vacillating emotions, or a yearning for elegance and beauty in his macho world? The audience’s suspicion of Eddie’s ambiguous sexual preferences are sufficiently served by the script and performances, so if this is the intention, it is unnecessary.

Immigration, toxic masculinity, control within a marriage and struggles with social expectation. The quotidian violence and inevitable tragedy of the play may hit hard, but the fact it could have been written today gives us a lot more to think about.

Read our interview with Nancy Crane on taking on toxic masculinity in the play here.

A View From The Bridge is at the Rose Theatre until 11 November

Photo Credits: The Other Richard

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