The Crucible — Brisbane Arts Theatre

Overview

Tales of paranoia, blame, scapegoats, shouting forceful opinions and enforcing religious standards aren't hard to come by these days. Nor are stories where women bear the brunt of all of the above — and that's just in the news. But, before world affairs played out on social media, and even before The Handmaid's Tale had everyone exploring the consequences of female oppression, The Crucible waded into this very territory.

In his now-classic play, Arthur Miller examined American history, as well the 1950s climate of McCarthyism, while also crafting a story of a divisive society that still rings true 65 years later. You won't hear about emails and fake news here, but you will see a fictionalised account of a community scrambling to point fingers. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Of course, this one is set during the Salem witch trials.

No stranger to the city's stages, the latest production of The Crucible plays Brisbane Arts Theatre until May 19. Performances run on Friday and Saturday nights, with extra shows on April 26, 29 and May 6.