Arthur Miller plays are like good casseroles; they’re conventional and a bit old-fashioned, but satisfying and full of meat to chew on. A View from the Bridge is a well-crafted Greek tragedy transposed to Little Italy, Brooklyn, narrated by a fatalistic lawyer (George Henare, as dignified as ever).

Longshoremen and illegal immigrants stand in for ancient kings, carrying weighty themes of family protection, betrayal and justice on their stooped shoulders, made desperate by poverty. [More]
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Peach Theatre Company presents Author Miller’s iconic play A View From The Bridge with a star-studded New Zealand cast at Auckland’s TAPAC Theatre. Despite the play having become a hackneyed high school text book in many countries around the world, Peach Theatre Company truly makes it their own in this inspired and purposeful production.

The TAPAC theatre space is transformed into a two-sided stage for the event; suited to the Greek Tragedy associations intrinsic to this play, and a nice parallel to the production of Federica Garcia Lorca’s tragedy The House of Bernarda Alba, which used the space in a similar way only a few months ago. The romantic Greek Tragedy affinity is solidified through the use of the Chorus that occupies the stage almost threateningly until audience members are seated.

The Chorus, representing longshoremen living in an Italian-American community beyond the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, serve to relate the private drama of the play to its public implication. Opening the show with an expressionistic dance which demonstrates their functional place in a dysfunctional society, they create an atmosphere of foreboding, which is reinforced by the play’s narrator and the family lawyer: Alfieri, played with conviction by George Henare.

Set in 1950s America, the play deals with longshoreman Eddie Carbone’s inappropriate love, verging on obsession, of his orphaned niece Katie, whose walk has become ‘too wavy’ for his liking. Eddie’s fixated protection of Katie reaches extremes when the family takes in two of his wife Beatrice’s cousins – Marco and Rodolpho; illegal Italian immigrants who have come from dire poverty in southern Italy in order to find work in America. Katie immediately falls for Rodolpho, who is single, music-loving and liberated in comparison to his brother, whose sole intention is to send every penny he earns to his starving family in Italy.

Eddie cannot cope with the prospect of his daughter being lured by Rodolpho, who he is convinced is “not right” (homosexual) and only out to get an American passport by marrying Katie. It becomes clear in the play, however, that his suspicions are unjustified and he is clearly wild with jealousy. This jealousy drives him to turn the Italian brothers – who he had been ‘proud to take into his home’ – in to Immigration, causing the deprivation of Marco’s family and the devastation of his niece.

I absolutely believe Bruce Phillips’ portrayal of Eddie in this production. His consistent, committed and crushing performance makes a very difficult character relatable, which is absolutely crucial to the play. His lawyer Alfieri and his wife Beatrice love him despite his terrible flaw, and the audience must understand this. Phillips is supported wonderfully on stage by Beatrice played by Annie Whittle – another acclaimed New Zealand actress – whose convincing Italian-American maternal character is compelling.

The production’s true strength lies in its casting. The Polynesian actors playing the Italian brothers works wonderfully (despite the Robbie Magasiva’s terrible Italian accent!), and their performances are vibrant and refreshing. Jarod Rawiri as Marco adds a sincerity and controlled modesty to the play which complements the outgoing, playful performance by Magasiva. Anna Jullienne as Katie is pitch perfect.

Jesse Peach’s direction should not go unnoticed – but it nearly does, because the movement of the play is seamless, natural, engaging, and it doesn’t get in the way of a great story. The director’s vision is very clear through the play and is well-executed – particularly the interplay between evocative, expressionistic scenes of narration and gutsy, realistic family drama. However the view from the bridge may be; the view from the auditorium is inspiring. 
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