The Crucible

The opening night performance of The Crucible was arguably the finest dramatic production seen in Townsville for some time.

The cast list read like a “Who’s Who” of strong local performers, from the professional company actors through to the aspiring young members of the Bridge Project.

Brendan O’Connor, in the role of John Proctor, delivered a superb performance. His character was powerful, right through to the climactic moment where he is torn between saving his life or his moral values. This was O’Connor at his very best.

Terri Brabon as Elizabeth Proctor presented yet another strong and flawless character. She held the final moments of the play with a powerful display of purpose and conviction which brought the performance to a thrilling conclusion.

The young women, as an ensemble, were skilfully directed by Brabon throughout. There were times when the audience sat so spellbound that a pin drop could have been heard.  In act three, the trial scene produced some truly spine-chilling moments.

The remainder of the sizeable cast were very evenly matched, with some very effective performances by Emily Edwards as Abigail Williams and Anna Wallace as Mary Warren, whilst John Goodson as Reverend Hale delivered a consistently impassioned performance.

The depth of the stage allowed interesting and effective groupings, especially when there were a larger number of performers in the space.  The clever arrangement of actors served to create focus on the chief protagonists, ensuring that the audience attention was always directed to the key elements of the plot.

The final moments of the play were met with silence as the audience sat transfixed and overwhelmed by an unforgettable piece of theatre.

Donna Ahlers

Photographer: Chrissy Maguire.