The Crucible

The Crucible description

The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre - An electrifying new production.

This is the National Theatre's acclaimed new production of The Crucible, a play by the US playwright Arthur Miller which saw him questioned, three years after it was first produced in 1953, for 'Un-American activities'. The USA's McCarthy era power-base was horrified by Communism, became utterly paranoid about it, and their intolerance kicked off a shamefully intolerant period in the country's history. It has seldom been off the world's stage since then and remains a powerful exploration of power - and its abuse.

This time around the Olivier Award-winner Lyndsey Turner directs an electrifying new production. The designs, by Es Devlin, along with the restaging, have been described as 'magnificent' by The Telegraph, and it has attracted rave reviews from many critics. This is Arthur Miller's absolute masterpiece, taking you deep into a gripping parable that still resonates to this day, giving us a clear warning about what it really means when you accuse the innocent.

What's the story behind The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre?

Nominated for 2023 Olivier Awards for Best Revival and for Best Lighting Design, the plot is inspired by the infamous Salem Witch Trials that took place at the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1692-93. The play is an allegory for McCarthyism, a time when the US government persecuted people they accused of being communists.

During the 1950s the paranoid SenatorJoseph McCarthy of Wisconsin kicked off a series of investigations and hearings to try to expose a fictional communist infiltration of the nation. Since then the term McCarthyism has defined this particular type of defamation of character. Thanks to the far-right wing Trump period, the play remains just as relevant to today's social and political landscape - a warning to us all.

Arthur Miller himself fell foul of the McCarthy madness, questioned by the House of Representatives Committee about potential 'Un-American Activities' in 1956. He was ultimately convicted of contempt of Congress when he refused to identify the people he attended meetings with.

Buy cheap tickets for The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre to discover a potent plot examining a group of women who have been brought up to be seen but not heard. A climate of terror is bedevilling the community, fuelled by private battles and vendettas, and wild public accusations are being made. Before long it emerges that the truth itself is on trial.

About The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre

On stage from 7 June to 2 September 2023 at the National Theatre, the production has already attracted significant critical acclaim. Theatre tickets for The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre treat you to a play that The Sunday Times says is a 'five star scorcher', The Telegraph calls it a ‘gripping revival of Arthur Miller’s masterpiece – The National Theatre at its best’.  The Evening Standard loves to see the play ‘burning bright once more’, and the Financial Times says it is both ‘stark’ and ‘stunning’.

Buy tickets for The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre

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Playing at Gielgud Theatre

35-37 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 6AR GB (venue info)

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