An amazing School Production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible

February 4th 2022

An amazing School Production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible...

In May 2021, The Headmaster, Ian Wilmshurst, asked for a school play that would challenge both the actors and audience. Unbeknownst to me, Mr Wilmshurst studied the chosen script at university and even stumbled into a performance of it in Russian at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The Crucible continues to be relevant and sorely needed in the 21^st century because it reflects society back onto its audience, regardless of which country or community is staging the play. The play struggles through personal failings and despairs, presenting characters that allow the audience members to find some part of themselves in, which in turn allows for them to view their own societies in a more critical light. The Crucible has been politically relevant since its creation, but the introduction of mass media and the digital age have made this play timelier than ever.

On Thursday 3^rd February, the first audience for two years was welcomed into the Fitzjames Theatre to see the whole school production of Arthur Miller’s classic. The impact of COVID-19 on the rehearsal process meant the performances were postponed, which in hindsight was an excellent decision. The Crucible is decidedly not festive, and hugely benefited from the extra rehearsal time. The cast were fantastic. They adapted to the changes and demands of the rehearsal process with ease, navigated Miller’s themes and style, and delivered an incredibly tricky piece of theatre with maturity and confidence. The language, based on the rhythms and speech patterns from the King James Bible, is very different to that of today, but the cast embraced this challenge and transported the audience to 1692 with aplomb.

It was great to see pupils from all year groups involved on stage and as part of the crew. As ever, it truly was a team effort, and I really enjoyed seeing the members of different Houses and year groups pull together. Throughout the rehearsal process, Ms King provided advice and support on the directorial decisions and artistic focus of the production. I am hugely grateful for this. However, both Ms King and Mr Hambleton must also be applauded and thanked for performing the role of Danforth with very little notice. Both brilliant judges! The trailer developed by the DBC (Dolphin Broadcasting Company) was superb. It brought excitement and anticipation to production week and showed the hours of work the cast and crew put in to make the show a success. My final thanks go to the audiences - both in the theatre and the livestream. The commitment and dedication to the production warranted a live audience, and on both evenings we were able to perform to a appreciative and supportive group.

“When one rises above the individual villainy displayed, one can only pity them all, just as we shall be pitied someday. It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions, and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom.” - Arthur Miller

William Stainton - Head of Performing Arts