A tormented soul

By Maria Gregoriou

Although it is nowhere near Halloween and the trickery of witchcraft and hocus pocus seems far, far away, an exception will be made on Sunday.

The witchcraft at play will be that in Arthur Miller’s American classic The Crucible, a performance of which will be screened from London’s West End at the Rialto theatre in Limassol.

If you enjoyed Richard Armitage’s performance in two of The Hobbit films and also his dark role in the TV series Robin Hood, and also his portrayal of John Thornton in the TV mini-series North and South then you are in for a real treat as Armitage plays John Proctor.

The performance, recorded at The Old Vic, London during its 2014 season, concentrates on a small, tight-knit community in Salem, Massachusetts, where superstition is fuelled with lust and hysteria to bring about a witch hunt, false accusations and the human will to live.

The production was directed by South African filmmaker Yeal Farber, who is a multiple award-winning director and playwright. Her production of Mies Julie won a string of international awards at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival, was named one of the Top Ten Productions of 2012 by The New York Times, and Top Five Productions of 2012 by The Guardian.

The critics have really praised this new production, with The Guardian rating it as ‘extraordinary’, The Independent making sure that its readers don’t miss out on a thing by describing it as ‘unmissable’, and if that wasn’t enough to convince you, The Mail on Sunday gets closer to the devilish side by saying it is ‘scorching.’

The Crucible
Screening of the performance from London’s West End. March 29. Rialto Theatre, Limassol. 7pm. €10/7. Tel: 77-777745

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