Broadway Review: A View from the Bridge

[yasr_overall_rating]

It’s been a long time since a play kept me this focused and this interest for 2 hours, with no intermission. But it shouldn’t be a surprise, since A View From The Bridge won the Oliver Award for best play of the year in London and Mark Strong also won the award for Best Actor.

Originally written by Arthur Miller and first staged in 1955, it’s set near the Brooklyn Bridge, in New York, and it tells the story of Eddie’s (Mark Strong) obsession with his 17-year-old niece Catherine (Phoebe Fox), as narrated by his lawyer (Michael Gould). When Catherine starts spending time with a newly arrived Italian immigrant, Eddie’s jealousy rises to a dangerous level.

Directed by Ivo van Hove, this version of A View From The Bridge has no sets, no intermission, no changes of clothes. The actors are even surrounded by the audience, since there are seats actually on stage, as if they were inside a boxing ring. That kind of setting only raises the tension and intensity of the play, helped by the subtle soundtrack. The cast is absolutely incredible, especially Mark Strong. His performance as the troubled Eddie is mesmerizing, from his accent to his ability to convince us that he’s gradually becoming more and more obsessed with Catherine, on the verge of madness.

It’s definitely the best play I’ve seen this year and I would recommend it to anyone who genuinely enjoys great theater.