As many of us recall from reading it at school, Arthur Miller’s fictionalised account of Salem’s late-17th century witch trials is an allegory for his own times. Premiering in 1953, The Crucible equates the mass hysteria in that colonial American village with the country’s persecution of communists.

It’s familiar and generally admired by generations of Australians, so any production’s success hinges on its ability to convey the play’s tension and emotion. That challenge is squarely placed on the cast’s shoulders in this humbly staged production by The Australian Shakespeare Company (best known for presenting The Bard outdoors for many a Melbourne summer). For the most part, they succeed.

Australian Shakespeare Company’s The Crucible. Photo supplied

Co-directed by a stalwart actor of the company, Syd Brisbane, and Tony Rive, who also plays Reverend Parris, this new production is presented in the Athenaeum’s smaller, utilitarian theatre. There is no set as such: just a black background curtain, and rudimentary props such as a bed, tables and chairs. Like the costumes, which are also designed, or perhaps rather sourced by Kaspa Elston, they are more 19th than 17th century, but achieve the aim of...