The Crucible - National Theatre / NT Live Jan 23 / Gielgud

STILL no Avanti train tickets on sale for this Saturday or any of the coming weekends. My mum has had an op rescheduled for Sat so I'm going to have to cancel my theatre ticket, but for everyone else, the Avanti sh**-show especially at weekends is surely impacting everyone who wants to visit theatres and shows from the North West of England to London (and anything else at weekends!).

The design is the only good thing about this but even that feels misplaced. Much of the text was inaudible (from the fifth row stalls) and most actors lacking the necessary gravitas for this piece. Largely miscast and a complete misfire for me. The National has really lost its way.

I did see someone - audience not actor - tweet that

There are a couple of clips on Twitter (taken pre-show) showing  

Don't want to say to much but I think its the whole staging that works really well, its a fairly simple dark set but works with the whole of the large stage. Less is definitely more here.
The use of lighting, rain, smoke and sound build up the atmosphere and tension. It effectively moves your attention from front to back even though action is at the front to highlight storyline.

yes, set in Salem, late 1600's

This is a play I had to study for English Literature O-Level, so I approach it with expectations set in my formative years. I still have hopes of seeing the definitive take on The Crucible one day. This one isn't bad, but it's not quite there for me. There are some five-star performances, but the production suffers from some poor directorial choices and from self-indulgent set design.

The three-sided wall of rain must have taken a significant chunk of the budget but serves no purpose, other than to test the balance of the cast on the sloping stage. It's not even used during the play. The downpour happens only before Act 1 commences, during a scene change after the script references the wind, and, iirc, briefly at the interval. The poor souls in the four extreme seats of stalls row B have to wear ponchos throughout, the rest of row B may get the odd speck, and row A is off-sale as a result. Such profligacy!

The dark and distant rear of the stage is occasionally lit to reveal scenes that run concurrently with the action in the foreground. Unfortunately, the view of the rear is almost entirely impeded by the cast and props in the latter, for, I would hazard, the front third of the central stalls seats. I was in a cheap row C seat sold as restricted view, but I would not be happy if I'd paid full price in rows D, E or F.

Among the cast, Brendan Cowell and Matthew Marsh shine, as the best interpretations I've seen of farmer John Proctor and Deputy Governor Danforth, respectively.

The production held me rapt, but the final scene did not trigger emotions like it should.

Four stars.

Act 1: 19:33-20:55
Act 2: 21:17-22:31

An earlier report on here says the first preview ended at 22:35. The response of the NT was, the following day, to reduce the advertised running time from the originally estimated 2:55 to 2:50. Go figure! Why are some theatres so hopeless at giving up-to-date accurate information, while others are so good?

Since this play is a much admired classic it is with trepidation that I have to say I was bored (very) by last night’s performance. Clocking in at 3 hours it really outstays its welcome. I didn’t like the tricksy pointless rainfall - I’m sure it came at considerable expense which would have been better spent on the actual set. After filling The Olivier stage handsomely for Jack Absolute we’re back to the default position for this space ie. a no set set.

Also I don’t know if it was because of the pointless precipitation but it was freezing cold throughout in row F of the stalls.

Saw this tonight and I'm afraid I can't give it more than 2.5/5 (3 in the poll)

I thought the production design was really nice and there were some great performances, but as a whole I found it incredibly frustrating, especially the direction.

My biggest gripe was that I would estimate there was probably less than 5 minutes across 3 hours that I wasn't constantly looking at someone's back on stage.

For the first 20 minutes, the 2 lead characters in the scene marched onto the stage and then stood with their backs to the audience while delivering their lines. I was so frustrated I was very close to standing up and asking if they would please turn around! I mean, you're setting up a 3 hour play, why is your back to the audience while doing so? It almost drove me insane.

They have that massive stage full of dead space at the back, with everyone crammed up the front. Move everyone back and turn them around so they are facing the bloody audience. This would also eliminate the constant mopping/drying of the stage.

Anyways...

The positives.

I liked the staging and I actually liked the rain. Though I would've only used it within the body of the play (where it was actually used 3 or 4 times) not left it running all the time during entering and intermission.

I liked the 'singing' and it was used to great effect in some parts, but completely ruined the scenes where the children were 'losing it' and completely took you out of the manic-ness of the scenes because it drowned out the dialogue and performances of the kids which is very important to the story.

I liked the use of the very back of the stage in different parts (the end of Act 1 was particularly effective) but as mentioned above the blocking is ridiculous and there's no excuse for it.

Has the director never actually watched it from the audience I wonder?

I thought all of the kids were great and most of the adults were pretty good...but some of side characters need some work.

Personally I much preferred Ivo's Broadway version on every single level I'm afraid.

They've shifted Press Night from this week to the 28th.

I’m surprised by the reception this is getting on here. It’s one of my most eagerly anticipated shows for sure and I’ve been struggling to get rush tickets for this the last two weeks. I would’ve thought Lyndsey Turner would’ve done wonders with this considering the huge reception Under Milk Wood received. I was also really looking forward to seeing Fisayo Akinade return to the National Theatre as well as to see Erin Doherty’s Abigail which from the trailer I’m hoping to be pretty riveting. Will share my thoughts once I see it

Haven’t seen this yet but the comments on the staging remind me of the Katie Mitchell “Three Sisters” where for one long scene those in the Circle could only see the legs of the characters who were sitting at a table. Hytner had to intervene and eventually de-platformed Mitchell for this type of direction.