Scottish Ballet The Crucible Festival Theatre Edinburgh 1st May 2025 Review
Scottish Ballet The Crucible is at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh for a short performance run (1 to 3 May) and it is, without any doubt in my mind, one of the most innovative and important works in their repertoire.
The first time that I saw this work was when it was premiered in 2019. This work was one of the highlights of the Edinburgh International Festival that year and since then it has enjoyed major success for Scottish Ballet in the U.S.A. If you have in your mind an image of what you think a ballet company can and will do on stage, then prepare to completely re-set your expectations as this re-imagining of Arthur Miller’s classic play constantly blurs the lines between dance and drama in movement. I would not normally say this, but if you get the chance to read even a brief synopsis of the original work, do this before coming along to this show as there is just so much detail in this performance.
One big factor in this re-telling of “The Crucible” is inspired choreography by Helen Pickett. Here traditional dance forms blend effortlessly with new and innovative movements to create a world which is at first bright and full of laughter and joy before it descends into darkness, superstition and accusations as a once tight knitted community turns inwards on itself, tearing the very fabric of their society apart in the process.
This work wisely distils the essence of Miller’s larger work down to human emotions and in particular the marriage of Elizabeth and John Proctor, and John’s affair with Abigail, the young girl who works for the family. The young girls who are discovered dancing in the woods with the slave woman Tituba are of course a central part of this story too as they gain unquestioned power in their community as those who can name a witch. Many of the other threads of Miller’s work are also explored in this work, and Helen Pickett and the Scottish Ballet dancers’ ability to convey this in movement gives “The Crucible” that feeling of darkness, suspicion and ultimately fear that it requires.
The three main roles tonight were performed by Bruno Micchiardi (John Proctor), Jessica Fyfe (Elizabeth Proctor) and Kayla-Maree Tarantolo (Abigail), and together they make this relationship triangle believable whilst at the same time delivering impressive technical and emotional performance. In truth, everyone on stage tonight brought something special to this production.
Scottish Ballet’s The Crucible is in some ways a bit of an odd work as everything looks so basic, almost minimalist at first glance, but things are not as they first look. The set and lighting design (David Finn) is complex and the attention to light and shadows and the importance that they have in this production is impressive. One highlight of this show for me was an old fashioned shadow play by the young girls in happier times. Costumes (also set design) by Emma Kingsbury are also a huge part of how effective this work is on stage.
Music is a major part of this work, and here Peter Salem has also created something very special. As well as the often unexpected use of traditional instruments in a small ensemble, the use of the sound possibilities of electronic keyboards together create so much of the atmospheric mood as we move from darkness to light. Conducting this music tonight was Daniel Parkinson.
The Crucible is a bold and perhaps even risky work for any ballet company to create and perform, but here it has all been worth it as this one deserves to be around and performed for many years to come.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
The first time that I saw this work was when it was premiered in 2019. This work was one of the highlights of the Edinburgh International Festival that year and since then it has enjoyed major success for Scottish Ballet in the U.S.A. If you have in your mind an image of what you think a ballet company can and will do on stage, then prepare to completely re-set your expectations as this re-imagining of Arthur Miller’s classic play constantly blurs the lines between dance and drama in movement. I would not normally say this, but if you get the chance to read even a brief synopsis of the original work, do this before coming along to this show as there is just so much detail in this performance.
One big factor in this re-telling of “The Crucible” is inspired choreography by Helen Pickett. Here traditional dance forms blend effortlessly with new and innovative movements to create a world which is at first bright and full of laughter and joy before it descends into darkness, superstition and accusations as a once tight knitted community turns inwards on itself, tearing the very fabric of their society apart in the process.
This work wisely distils the essence of Miller’s larger work down to human emotions and in particular the marriage of Elizabeth and John Proctor, and John’s affair with Abigail, the young girl who works for the family. The young girls who are discovered dancing in the woods with the slave woman Tituba are of course a central part of this story too as they gain unquestioned power in their community as those who can name a witch. Many of the other threads of Miller’s work are also explored in this work, and Helen Pickett and the Scottish Ballet dancers’ ability to convey this in movement gives “The Crucible” that feeling of darkness, suspicion and ultimately fear that it requires.
The three main roles tonight were performed by Bruno Micchiardi (John Proctor), Jessica Fyfe (Elizabeth Proctor) and Kayla-Maree Tarantolo (Abigail), and together they make this relationship triangle believable whilst at the same time delivering impressive technical and emotional performance. In truth, everyone on stage tonight brought something special to this production.
Scottish Ballet’s The Crucible is in some ways a bit of an odd work as everything looks so basic, almost minimalist at first glance, but things are not as they first look. The set and lighting design (David Finn) is complex and the attention to light and shadows and the importance that they have in this production is impressive. One highlight of this show for me was an old fashioned shadow play by the young girls in happier times. Costumes (also set design) by Emma Kingsbury are also a huge part of how effective this work is on stage.
Music is a major part of this work, and here Peter Salem has also created something very special. As well as the often unexpected use of traditional instruments in a small ensemble, the use of the sound possibilities of electronic keyboards together create so much of the atmospheric mood as we move from darkness to light. Conducting this music tonight was Daniel Parkinson.
The Crucible is a bold and perhaps even risky work for any ballet company to create and perform, but here it has all been worth it as this one deserves to be around and performed for many years to come.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com