Review: Obsessive and frightening – and a company at its very best
A highly acclaimed premier at the Edinburgh International Festival was followed by a brief Scottish tour but Covid 19 lockdowns subsequently stymied revivals until now, when casts of talented new faces are delivering Pickett's concepts and characters with compelling energy and in-depth understanding.
The Salem witch hunts, fuelled by misplaced religious fervour, took place in 1692/93 - costumes and an uncluttered set evoke that period but there is an inescapable topicality about what unfolds on-stage.
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There is an underlying misogyny in how the 'Men of God' behave towards the women accused of being witches, and there is an edge of vindictive power-play in how the young girls point condemning fingers at the adult women who had previously controlled them.
Underpinning all this, however, is the obsessive, vengeful plotting by the teenage Abigail (Kayla-Maree Tarantolo) against Elizabeth Proctor (Jessica Fyfe), the woman who has everything Abigail wants, including her husband John (Bruno Micchiardi).
A fiercely raunchy duet with John means fleeting lust to him, but a bond of love to her - her subsequent sense of betrayal when Elizabeth forgives him and tender duets re-affirm their loving devotion which abides until his self-sacrifice parts them in death.
All three shade persuasively nuanced motivation into technically assured performances, with other company dancers creating the overly pious, fear-ridden villagers with impressive acumen.
The cinematic sweep of composer Peter Salem's score is vividly realised by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra - as in 2019, this Crucible shows the company at its creative best.
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