Review: A View from the Bridge (Oxford Playhouse)

A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller is currently playing at Oxford Playhouse, and I went along to review the show on the first night.

Directed by Rosie Morgan-Males and produced by Labyrinth Productions, the synopsis of the show is as follows: This award-winning play follows Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman whose world unravels when his wife’s Italian cousins arrive illegally. As his niece Catherine falls for the charming Rodolpho, Eddie’s protectiveness turns possessive. Bound by law yet powerless to stop the tragedy, Italian American lawyer Alfieri watches as personal obsession collides with cultural code in a slow march toward destruction.

The six leading cast members were perfect for their roles, with captivating performances, and accents that they managed to keep consistent through the entire show. I would go as far as to say they were a dream cast for this show.

Alice Wyles began with the introductory role as Alfieri, almost a narrator type of character. Despite not being on stage as much as the other five, this role was pivotal to the show and brought a lot of clarity to the story, commanding the attention while present.

Nate Wintraub as Eddie was absolutely convincing as an older character, it was almost a shock when he was front of stage in full lighting and I could see his face clearly, as his delivery was that of a much older person.  Not only that, but he was on stage for most of the show, demonstrating so many different emotions and character traits.  This performance was captivating.

Beatrice (Rose Hemon Martin), Eddie’s wife, evoked a sense of sympathy as she wearily tolerated her husband’s flawed character.  The performance of this was effortless and believable.   It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that Eddie and Beatrice were played by such young actors, because their portrayal of a couple in crisis with a long and complicated backstory was totally convincing.

Catherine Claire’s performance as Catherine was stunning, as she moved from being naïve and innocent through to captivated by Rodolpho as he arrived in her aunt’s house.  The demeanour change at this point was so well played, a vision of a young girl being besotted with a new person. The character arc here involved a lot of personal growth, as in the second half in particular, the girl becomes a woman in more ways than one… but more on that later.

The arrival of Marco (Gilon Fox) and Rodolpho (Robert Wolfreys) as illegal immigrants from Italy, being welcomed into the household at first, is when everything changes and Eddie’s life begins to unravel. These characters are considered family by Beatrice, threatening to Eddie and exciting to Catherine, who develops a relationship with Rodolpho. Both performers brought these characters to life in a meaningful way that was also essential to the plot.

The intimacy director – Lex Kaby - and the fight and movement director – Rebecca Wilson - deserve a mention of their own.  A scene in the second half between Catherine and Rodolpho was one of the most authentic intimate scenes I have seen on a stage, the direction and performances were stunning.  Likewise, the fight scenes were impressive in their nature, it easily could have been tempting to be more dramatic with these scenes, but they contained just the right level of action and again, the authenticity of the performances shone through.

The lighting design (Sarah Webb & Isabelle Carey-Young) was perfect for each situation. The light changing as the focus of the play moved inside the house or outside was timed to perfection and the blue up-lights used at times, and tones of red during a scene full of conflict were very fitting to the story.

Designed by Euan Elliot, the set was simple, functional and perfect for the scenes it needed to depict. Props were moved around, some descending from the ceiling, effectively.

Music was present for the majority of the time the play was in motion.  The 26 piece orchestra played beautifully but, unfortunately, I am not convinced this was the best choice for this show.  The music did not always seem to reflect what was going on in the play, especially in the first half, and often drowned out the speech, and detracted from the silent moments between the characters, which at times would have been much more powerful without accompaniment. 

I personally feel the musical composition would have been better as a stand-alone concert than as part of a play.   There is no denying the quality of the composition or performances, but it was a case of trying to process what was going on with the characters, watching their body language and interactions whilst also trying to process a slightly too loud auditory performance. The two elements needed individual focus in order to get the full effect from either.

For this particular play perhaps fewer musicians, more periods without any music, and a lower volume would be more fitting.

The composition itself reminded me of certain themed Proms I have seen with projected imagery in a backdrop.  This score should have a life of its own.

Giving stars for this show is frustrating because the play itself was fantastic, likewise the music, but together they pushed against each other. If there had been less or no music, the play would have got at least another star from me.  As the production stands, unfortunately this missing star got blown into the distance by the brass section.

⭐⭐⭐1/2

A View from the Bridge is showing at Oxford Playhouse until Saturday 8 November 2025, with a matinee on the Saturday.

If you would like to see more of my curtain call photographs from this and other shows, please visit my Instagram.

I was gifted a ticket for this show in exchange for an honest review.