The Crucible,’ by Arthur Miller, Plays at London's Old Vic Theatre

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Ben Brantley

"The Crucible," at the Old Vic in London, stars Richard Armitage, right, as John Proctor. Credit Johan Persson

UNITED KINGDOM---The Puritan torturers who try to break the spirit of John Proctor, the honor-bound hero of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” have nothing on the devastating revival of that play that recently opened at the Old Vic. As directed by Yael Farber, this three-and-a-half-hour production applies unrelieved pressure to your nerves — and, it would seem, muscles that include the heart — until you’re a submissive puddle of pity and terror. In doing so, Ms. Farber makes the most convincing case that I’ve encountered for the greatness of this 1953 drama about the Salem witch trials, a longtime staple of American high school reading lists and community theaters. [link]

“The Crucible” continues through Sept. 13 at the Old Vic in London; oldvictheatre.com.