A View From The Bridge - Altrincham Garrick

THERE are two interviews I would have killed for during my time as a reporter. One is Nelson Mandela, who never came to Trafford, sadly, the next is the American theatrical giant known as Arthur Miller, whose masterpiece A View From The Bridge is being stunningly revived by Altrincham Garrick.

Pure magic flowed from that great man’s typewriter keys and not a word of his sublime dialogue is wasted by director Mark Butt and a cast who evidently share his deep seated affection for the great man’s work.

I can’t say I find Miller’s plays an easy watch and I always feel emotionally drained after watching them. But I feel like I’m living - no dramatist affects quite as deeply as AM, God rest his soul.

On the face of it, Eddie is a hard working soul who looks out with an almost fatherly devotion for his niece, Catherine. But Eddie has a darker side and I was completely captivated by the way in which Matthew Branwell bought this to the fore, helped in no doubt by Mark’s skilful direction. This leads to some heated exchanges between him and Catherine, a young woman starting to find her voice and expertly portrayed by Charlotte Jobling.

The tension is ratcheted up in Eddie’s household with the arrival of Marco and the charismatic Rodolpho, the latter persuading Catherine there’s a more exciting life beyond the claustrophobic four walls Eddie would willingly keep her in. Charlie Gallagher excels as Rodolpho and this young actor is so disarmingly likeable you’re sure to be silently cheering him on as he locks horns with the hot tempered Eddie.

The consistently impressive Nick Sample delivers yet again as the seasoned lawyer Alfieri, watching mainly from the edge of the stage as tragedy, that reminded me so much of something from a Shakespeare play, unfolds.

I also liked the production’s effective and atmospheric use of music, to make this a truly memorable night out. An unmissable production.

* Until October 20. The box office is on 0161 928 1677. Star rating - ***** Photo by Vish Sharma.