Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
‘I’m telling you, the guy ain’t right’
Telling the story of one man’s spiral into self-destruction, DramaSoc’s performance of A View from the Bridge drags you right into the heart of the suspicion and betrayal that inevitably tears apart the Carbone family.
The real star though was Danie Linsell as Beatrice, who portrayed outstandingly the despairing wife desperately struggling to help the husband she loves.
Centred in the Brooklyn docks of New York, Arthur Miller’s play tells the story of longshoreman Eddie Carbone, his wife, Beatrice, and their niece, Catherine. With the arrival of Beatrice’s cousins, two illegal Italian immigrants, Eddie’s world slowly unravels. When Catherine and the handsome Rodolpho become engaged, Eddie is transformed into a figure of jealousy, as his more-than-paternal feelings for his niece are revealed. With increasing desperation, ignoring the words of his wife and his lawyer, Eddie takes the law into his own hands, sealing his own tragic fate.
On entering, two actors were already assembled on the stage, sat casually smoking and playing cards. It took me a few minutes to realise they weren’t part of the audience, adding an immediately accessible and familiar touch which made deliberate use of the Drama Barn’s intimacy. The simple set worked well, and the positioning on the stage was a particularly impressive detail, especially in the symbolic ‘chair-lifting’ scene, with Marco towering over Eddie. What I did find confusing was the graffiti artwork: it seemed more reminiscent of the modern hip-hop scene than 1920s Brooklyn.
Eddie was a particularly convincing lead, pulling off the accent with barely a waver and conveying well the torments of his feelings for Catherine. The real star though was Danie Linsell as Beatrice, who portrayed outstandingly the despairing wife desperately struggling to help the husband she loves.
I thought the whole cast performed impressive accents, showing attention to detail, and the connections between the characters were intensely believable. The complicated emotions between Eddie and Catherine revealed sensitively the sinister undertones of his feelings for her and the innocence with which she overlooks this. However, the interaction of Rodolpho and Catherine did seem a little awkward at times.
As the lights fade on the final tragic scene, the music lends a tasteful touch of irony with its lyrics of ‘love’, amid the lasting image of the damage Eddie’s obsessive love has caused. A well-directed production really worth seeing, with an enjoyable blend of dramatic story and excellent acting.
A View from the Bridge is showing at the Drama Barn this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7.30pm. Tickets are £4.50 for students (£3.50 for DramaSoc members).
A View From The Bridge AND Death Of A Salesman on in the same week in York? It's a Miller fan's dream! 
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