Review: A View From The Bridge (Theatre Royal Haymarket)

Review by Daz Gale

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As we approach the halfway point of the year, the quality of plays we have seen in the West End and around the UK continues to impress overall with a mixture of new pieces of writing and bold adaptations of classics dominating including the outstanding The Picture Of Dorian Gray which has just concluded its run at Theatre Royal Haymarket. Having the unenviable task of following that show in the theatre is a new production of Arthur Miller’s classic A View From The Bridge. Transferring to the West End following an acclaimed sell-out season in Bath, can it match the high bar set by its predecessor?

First staged in 1955 as a one-act verse drama on Broadway, Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge was revised a year later for its West End premiere and has been regularly revived in the decades since on stage, TV, film, radio and opera.  This latest iteration debuted at Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio in February this year. Set in Eddie Carbone’s house in New York in the 1950’s as he welcomes his wife’s Italian cousins to stay with them. However, the family dynamics change and Eddie’s jealousy gets the better of him when his niece, Catherine, falls for one of them. With passions rising, the price of freedom might be too high.

Arthur Miller’s writing remains as remarkable and exhilarating now as it did all those years ago, with a timeless quality that works as well in 2024 as it would have done in the 1950s. With its slow-burn approach, allowing for exposition and fully fleshed characters to make themselves known to the audience, the inevitable explosive nature of this story as it draws towards its climax is a testament to why Miller has always been so revered as a playwright and why works such as this and his other classics have more than stood the test of time. Given recent events in the world, one of the key themes of attitudes towards immigrants adds a sense of poignancy and greater relevance to the play.

Lindsay Posner’s direction breathes life into the story, fully in-tune with Miller’s writing with a careful and detailed approach at how best to create this world in a natural and effective way. The result is an urgent and perfectly paced production that doesn’t try to rush its narrative, allowing for a refreshing slow-burn in the first act with understated choices. This is in direct contrast to the show’s second act which explodes within moments, upping the ante as the drama kicks off until it races to its devastating conclusion. The energy in the performances and direction created an impactful atmosphere, immersing you into Eddie and his family’s world effortlessly.

While the timeless writing and contemporary direction are two key elements into the success of this production, the third belongs to the phenomenal cast. Kate Fleetwood delights in her turn as Eddie’s long-suffering wife Eddie, as she desperately attempts to keep the peace between everyone in a characterisation that transforms scenes due to her contrasting nature. Nia Towle is an undoubted standout as Catherine in a powerful performance that manages to navigate between the sweet innocence of use and the complexities that surround her relationship with Eddie. Lighting up the stage with her every appearance, Towle is a constant joy to watch.

Callum Scott Howells delivers a well-rounded performance as Rodolpho showing off a bit of his singing and dancing but mostly impressing with his stunning acting as he taps into the intricacies of his character’s hopes, dreams and struggles. Though initially more in the background, Pierro Niel-Mee comes into his own in the role of Marco, proving to be a key factor in the play’s climactic scenes in a commanding portrayal.

The standout performance in A View From the Bridge belongs to Dominic West in his astonishing turn as Eddie. Having to navigate a lot of opposing characteristics, Dominic gives a fully-fleshed out and versatile performance, embodying all of Eddie’s complexities perfectly. As motives for his actions become clearer, West showcases his remarkable talents as an actor in a masterclass performance. Consistently captivating, he forms the centre of the show with other performances gravitating around his sensational turn.

Just as last year’s The Crucible showed how Arthur Miller’s plays can be staged to full effect in the 2020’s, A View From The Bridge further his legacy with a production that feels faithful to the original text while being unafraid to breathe life into it through inspired choices. The result is an engaging and urgent staging boasting one of the strongest lead performances you will see in the West End this year in the form of Dominic West’s unmissable turn as Eddie. Adding to the growing list of fantastic plays this year, A View From The Bridge is a stunning addition to the West End.

A View From the Bridge plays at Theatre Royal Haymarket until 3rd August. Tickets available here.

Photos by Johan Persson