A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller
Running until 25th June 2011
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
The Royal Exchange’s latest play, A View from the Bridge is a dramatic, powerful and evoking production. Eminent playwright, Arthur Miller originally wrote the play back in 1955; however this spring Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre is staging Miller’s passionate and gripping drama until June.
The play follows the lives of longshoreman, Eddie Carbone (Con O’Neill), his wife Beatrice (Anna Francolini) and their young, orphaned niece Catherine (Leila Mimmack) who live in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York.
When two of Beatrice’s cousins, Marco (Nitzan Sharron) and younger brother Rodolpho (Ronan Raftery) voyage to America from Sicily as illegal immigrants in an attempt to escape the poverty in Italy, tensions soon erupt in the Carbone household when young Catherine and Rodolpho fall in love. Eddie struggles with the change and a power struggle ensues.
The whole cast in this production are superb, in particular the main lead Eddie (Con O’Neill) and his wife Beatrice (Anna Francolini). Ronan Raftery also plays Rodolpho brilliantly bringing both skill and humour in equal measure.
Director, Sarah Frankcom has created an eerie and dark tragedy in A View from a Bridge. Its dreary and realistic comments on immigration are also there throughout. Frankcom’s adaptation is powerful and has you on the edge of your seat from the start. The show’s Fight Director, Kate Waters, handles the violent fight scenes throughout the final act with expert skill and finesse.
A View from the Bridge is a dramatic and powerful production from the Royal Exchange Theatre, and one that you should definitely see this spring.
