Anna Burnside reviews a solid production with concepts that throw it off balance.
There is no bridge—and no view—in Jemima Levick’s first outing as artistic director of Glasgow’s Tron Theatre. The Brooklyn setting of Arthur Miller’s 20th century classic exists only in the accents of the cast and in the lawyer Alfieri’s scene-setting introduction.
Instead, a shipping container set and jumble sale wardrobe seem to be making a point about the migrant experience rather than anchoring the play in place and time.
This is a fair enough artistic decision and points up one of Miller’s key themes, but it falls down when it comes to the pivotal relationship between protagonist Eddie Carbone and his niece Catherine.
This is a period piece: the longshoreman slaving at the docks to feed this extra mouth in his household, longing for the young woman he has put through secretarial college and forbidden to date who is living under his roof. It’s a dynamic that does not exist in a world of shell suits and plastic chairs.
These irritants aside, this is a solid production. Mark Holgate is a convincing, if slightly too shouty, Eddie, thrashing and lashing out, at a loss to articulate his own feelings. Nicole Cooper is tremendous as his wife, struggling to save the marriage without throwing her niece under the bus.
The claustrophobia, the dangerous emotions, the grim realities of migrant life as described by Miller in 1955 are all present and correct. They are obviously still relevant today. But foregrounding them throws this production off balance.
A View From The Bridge performs at Tron Theatre in Glasgow until March 15, 2025.
Photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
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