A View From The Bridge

(from the Ustinov Studio, pre-London run)

Saw this last night (28th February 2024) and as it's transfering the TR Haymarket I thought I would let you know what I think.

What can I say, it's one of my favourite plays. I've seen Bernard Hill, Ken Stott, directed by the same director as this production, and Mark Strong play the central character Eddie. Now Dominic West takes on the part.

The problem for me is that having seen the Young Vic production at the Young Vic with Mark Strong in the lead and Ivan Van Hove directing, another production was always going to have to be totally incredibly stunning to better it.

This is a very good production with Nia Towel, Kate Fleetwood, Pierro Niel-Mee and Callum Scott Howell turning in terrific performances. For me the delivery of Alfieri, Martin Marquez, the Greek style chorus was too staid and didn't really connect. Dominic West as the lead delivers a good, but a bit of an over the top performance, it may have been the studio theatre environment and the performance will be better in a bigger space but what should have come across as smouldering anger and passion came across a couple of times as shouting, then the final heartbreaking sequence was much more muted when it should have been more startling and moving. But that's down to direction.

Great set, lights and sound.

Taljaard.