Recent News / Events
School play explores the politics of witchcraft
Fri 11 Nov, 2011
The Royal High School production of Arthur Miller's allegorical masterpiece, ‘The Crucible', completes a highly successful three-night run in the school's Memorial Hall Theatre this evening. The play, written in 1953 became famous as a critique of contemporary American politics. The audience is invited to draw parallels between the political ‘witch hunt' of the McCarthyite period and the witchraft trials in 17th century Massachusetts. The Un-American Activities Committee oversaw the purge of many public figures with alleged communist sympathies, as much of the free world looked on aghast. The Salem Witch Trials, on which the play is based, also saw many innocent people convicted as a result of false and malicious allegations. Miller sees the same kind of manipulation of opinion, half truths and innuendos at work in the1950s, as America became gripped in an
anti-communist hysteria.
Commenting on the play, Head of Drama Ben Pender said,
"The all-female cast of over seventy performers has risen to the challenge of the play, providing an evening of intense, thoughtful and gripping theatre. The themes of respect and disrespect, honesty and deceit, tolerance and discrimination are just as relevant today. I am very proud of the energy, commitment and enthusiasm that has gone into the play, including the hard work of the student production support team, which has done a great job with the costumes ,props, make-up, lighting and sound."
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