THU - SAT DEC 2025 11TH 13TH EMBER DIRECTOR
Director’s Note
Returning to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is always a joy. The students here have a rare mix of calibre and humility, and the staff match them in generosity and support.
Working on an Arthur Miller play is a dream, and exploring the depth of this one with such a talented group of young actors has been a real privilege.
The Crucible is one of those rare plays that has never stopped being relevant. The culture wars we have just lived through, and continue to live through both in the UK and globally, sit uncomfortably close to what unfolds in the story. Many know the play as Miller’s response to McCarthyism, but its reach is far wider. It speaks to witch hunts of all kinds, to public virtue signalling and political scapegoating, and to the way virtue can be weaponised for greedy, ambitious, ego-driven, or vengeful ends. This is not a neat or tidy story of who is good and who is bad, but an urgent plea for us to reflect on our own actions and hypocrisies. When society is structured with repression, fear, and poorly thought-out incentives, hysteria and blame inevitably erupt, and people are driven to an almost exalted need to find someone to hold accountable.
It is also important to note that while the play is surely a tragedy, there are aspects that are not just comically absurd, but downright funny, especially early on. This is intentional, both from Miller and in my approach. Episodes of mass hysteria often begin with claims so bizarre and incredible that we cannot help but laugh, but gradually we stop laughing as the people around us begin to take it seriously, and we all learn to stay silent and toe the line. We may begin laughing, but eventually we can only weep for the unnecessary suffering that has unfolded.
The set design is rooted in Miller’s commentary on the Puritans and their relationship to the natural world. They saw nature as something to conquer, fight against, or colonise, rather than something they were part of. That tension shapes the design: stark, rigid interiors pressed up against an untamed world at the edges, reflecting both their fear of the outside and values that still echo in our modern worldview.
Thank you for joining us.
Daniel Bradford
Daniel Bradford is a director, acting teacher, actor, and writer based in Manchester. He runs Mindful Acting, an acting school that explores the relationship between mindfulness and performance, helping actors develop presence, connection, and authenticity in their craft. His recent directing credits include Dancing at Lughnasa (RBC), Hypocrisy (writer/director), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rage, Danny & the Deep Blue Sea, Things We Want, North of Providence, Sans Merci, and Sexual Perversity in Chicago. For more about Daniel’s work, visit www.mindfulacting.co.uk.
Cast
Alfie James-Murray
Reverend Parris
Amberina Larg
Betty Parris
Fiona Aidoo Tituba
Lotus Lily
Abigail Williams
Lily Griffiths Susanna Walcott
Martha Corey
Sammy Ho Sum Yee Ann Putnam
Daniel Ansara
Thomas Putnam
Maddie Clarke
Mercy Lewis
Sarah Good
Trisha Kashyap
Mary Warren
Leon d’Lemos
Reverend Hale
Grace Hey Elizabeth Proctor
Max Paterson Francis Nurse
Ryan Morrison
Ezekiel Cheever
Adam Taylor
Marshal Herrick
Ethan Rodmell Judge Harthorne
Joseph Campbell Powell Deputy Governor Danforth
Cirilla Neiles Rebecca Nurse
Dmitri Colville Giles Corey
William Bennett John Proctor
Production Department
Production Manager Jacqui Findlay
Scenic Designer Emma Thompson
Lighting Designer Mark Pritchard
Sound Designer Adam McCready
Head of Costume Michelle Shaw
Head of Props Dan Raven
Production Technician Dilpesh Patel
Staff Stage Manager Helen Maynard
Stage Manager Bryany Palmer***
Deputy Stage Manager Oliver Higham**
Assistant Stage Managers Ellison Hart*, Siena Hyde-Beardmore*
Technical ASM Lighting Alec Fisher*
Technical ASM Sound Amelia Jessop*
Production Assistant Anna Nee
Costume Assistant Sarah Lowes
Scenic Assistant Rosie Lunney
Technical Assistants Eli White**, Claire Hyde**, Esme Mcintyre**
Set Assistant Julia Aldersea Smith**
Costume Assistants Naomi Day**, Audrie Gilliland**
Props Assistant Mollie Jones**
Carpenter The Woodshop Joinery Ltd
Voice Support Ellie Forrest
Fight Support Roger Bartlett
Intimacy Support Danièle Sanderson
* 1st Year Stage Management Students
**2nd Year Stage Management Students
***3rd Year Stage Management Students
