My friend reviewed “All My Sons” the play currently showing at Richmond Theatre.
Greg Dyke famously called the BBC “hideously white”. I would put the British Theatre in the same category. So it was utterly invigorating to see the all black Talawa theatre company perform Arthur Miller’s classic All My Sons at Richmond Theatre. Watching the Talawa company one saw actors who happened to be black. As the entire cast was black one could focus on the actors as actors. Talawa is an important company it gives black actors a space to develop their craft on merit alongside talented fellow black actors, directors and stage designers. It deserves funding and one hopes that it will be funded generously after the election in May.
Director Michael Buffong has put together a wonderful team to revive Arthur Miller’s classic family tragedy All My Sons at Richmond Theatre all this week. During the course of two and a half hours including a fifteen minute break, one is totally enveloped by this compellingly powerful production. Ray Shell and Dona Croll – playing the doomed couple Kate and Joe Keller – are both magnificent. Ray’s final speech climaxing with the tragic realisation that “ they were all my sons “ is heart breaking.
Miller’s play sets up a conflict between money and morality that relentlessly forces every character in the play to face up to the choices that define their lives. Needless to say the last scene is harrowing. Devastating revelations, broken dreams and suicide bring All My Sons to a tragically inevitable climax. A fine production which deserves as large an audience as possible.
