| Review by Lindsay Corr, January 2007
“The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul”. John Calvin’s words remind us that guilt and regret impinge our thoughts even though we put on a happy face and get on with life. Nearly everyone has done something they lament, always focusing on failings rather than successes. Is it because it’s a form of catharsis to reflect our own blunders onto others? Or simply that it’s always easier to blame someone else and remain ignorant to our own failures? Miller’s play, which launched his status as a leading 20th Century dramatist, brutally examines ethics and morality.
Set in the aftermath of WW2 the Keller family struggle to adjust to their losses and gains as a result of the conflict. Joe (Stuart Milligan) lives with the scandal surrounding his business, accused of patching patently faulty aircraft parts and deeming them fit for use, while Kate (Kathryn Howden) lives in denial, refusing to believe her son Larry, declared missing while flying, is dead. When second son Chris (Richard Conlon) invites Larry’s former sweetheart Annie (Shonagh Price) back to town, she proves a catalyst to bring past consequences to a head once and for all.
This searing critique of wholesome American values which challenges our materialistic pursuit of money even in times of contention, is directed with nuanced elegance by John Dove, successfully achieving control over the comic and tragic elements. Milligan delivers a rich and complex Joe, conveying a man at ease with burying his guilt yet antagonised by it, his demeanor shrinking as the play progresses. Supported by Howden’s Kate, a crusading matriarch, their interaction is a pleasure to witness. Set against Michael Taylor’s lush scenic backyard, it offers the realism needed for Miller’s Ibsen-esque style yet also symbolically highlights the isolation and monotony of each individual onstage. Pointedly droll and devastating, it challenges our reactions to change and society, highlighting that adjustment is necessary as is owning up to our responsibilities and failings. |
