SUSU Theatre Group
Annex Theatre, University Of Southampton, Southampton
David A Putley
29 January 2025
If the sins of the father are visited upon the sons, then Arthur Miller’s classic “All My Sons” is the ethical conundrum for our time. In this precursor to his signature piece, “Death of a Salesman,” Miller tackles the father-son conflict revealing what happens when the patriarch of the family is revealed to be just another imperfect man whose tragic errors in judgment bring down all he knows and loves.
Ripped from a small newspaper article in which a woman informed on her own father for selling faulty parts to the U.S. military during World War II, Miller’s play tells of a family man and businessman who knowingly sold cracked airplane cylinder heads to the army that inadvertently caused the death of 21 pilots. Joe Keller’s business depended on such government contracts and his family depended on him.
Cleared of fault at his trial, while his partner Steve took the whole rap and went to jail, his conscience had no catharsis, and the guilt takes its toll on the otherwise gregarious Joe and his wife, Kate. Ever present in the back of Kate’s mind, sometimes conscious, sometimes not, is the nagging suspicion that Joe was complicit in the sale.
The whole play is extremely well-cast: an innocuous start propels you into a gripping ride of human anxiety and guilt.
Morgan Allen digs deep and brings out all of Joe’s angst as his secrets are stripped away. Facing the demons which leave him morally and spiritually bankrupt, Joe tries desperately to explain the inexplicable and the change from his starting character to the end was almost palpable. These scenes are so expertly handled by all the cast: directors Lily Akers and Saskia Bindloss have clearly worked hard to rack up the tension.
Totally absorbed in her role as the grieving mother, Megan Lawrie portrays an inconsolable Kate who finally realizes that if she admits her son is dead, then she has to admit that his father/her husband must have killed him. She really was amazing in her understanding of the text and subtle underplaying when needed to be and in the zone completely even if she was on the sidelines. Facial expressions betrayed real desperation.
Matching her with a brilliant stance and look is Anna Wildgust whose complicated situation she so enveloped; the scene between her and Kate was like watching two prowling leopards, neither wanting to back down yet also having an air of politeness and reverence in tone and explanation.
James Stark as Chris was also a revelation. Mild mannerisms and congeniality slowly being turned on its head as the realisation of his Father’s involvement and just a hint that he knew all along and then having to watch the death of his aspirations and dreams be taken from him as with the 21 and his brother. Again a real understanding of the contextual text and his role within it.
The character of George is so heavily mentioned that by the time he appears it needs to be perfect. Joe Hutson did not disappoint, his shirt proudly un-tucked in, and real drive and determination as soon as he stepped into the family fray.
Louis Cleave and Athena Vourgos as married couple next door Jim and Sue Bayliss brought some much-needed humour with such good naturalness and timing. Athena’s description of Louis’ patients on the phone was particularly well received by the audience. Jim’s talk with Kate was also well done and softened the tone just before the sad finale.
Luke McCrone and Isabel Robertson brought similar relief as Frank and Lydia Lubey and Jessica Reeves bounded on stage as Bert causing much hilarity at not being able to say that “dirty” word.
The play works in this space as it literally leaves the participants nowhere to hide. Tricky steps, not quite wide enough, from the veranda (intentional or not) made leaving and accessing the yard physically difficult, matching perhaps the ideas of not really wanting to enter into or leave at all; everyone had to watch how they did it. The set itself was a perfect design, cluttered but also not, allowing for interchanges over and around seating: a flickering light distraction around the roof which I am not sure would have been a thing in 1946. But this is just being picky, when the rest of the sound and lighting were perfectly in tune with the production: the washing hanging out was a good touch.
Directed and presented so well, I didn’t want an interval. I would have been happy to have sat through to the end such was the level of acting and atmosphere on show. All the accents were well done but it was clearly the joy of making this play work that exuded from the stage. Highly recommended.