We round up the reviews for Kimberly Belflower’s play, running at the theatre until the 25th April.
The Guardian: *** ” Belflower’s dialogue captures the way girls talk to each other with humour and pathos, as well as how they internalise the world’s micro-aggressions towards women.”
Islington Tribune: “Belflower’s take on modern teenagers and the social and generational shifts that reframe our interpretation of classic texts is astute.”
Theatre Reviews with Paul Seven: “While John Proctor is a Villain may not possess the same depth and complexity as Miller’s masterpiece, it offers something equally valuable: a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable night out at the theatre.”
Everything Theatre: **** “John Proctor is the Villain takes a classic text and spins it on its head. Led by a relatable host of characters, it’s a play that will make you question your literary icons.”
A Young(ish) Perspective: ***** “John Proctor is a Villain is more than an ‘urgent’ play. It’s the most validating theatrical experience a young woman can have.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ***** “Belflower’s script can be overly didactic, but her messaging is blazingly important: how girls are taught to make themselves smaller, so as not to threaten or inconvenience men in a patriarchal society by being “difficult” or “a lot”, to instead be pleasant, accommodating, and above all silent. That’s why art is so crucial (and the play notes the terrible cutbacks in arts education), to help us make sense of our experience, to question authority and established narratives, and to give us an expressive outlet.”
Time Out: **** “Some bits maybe did get lost in translation: I often felt uncertain as to what extent this was rooted in the approximate reality of the American school system and to what extent Belflower was goofing off (while making a serious point). Would an equally good version of John Proctor is the Villain set in the British schooling system resonate with me more? Probably! But the hype is real and it’s still a wonderful play that deserves a life long after its sold out Royal Court run.”
All That Dazzles: ***** “If anyone says the perfect play does not exist, I will point them in the direction of John Proctor Is The Villain. Exceptional in every sense, from the layered and clever writing, the detailed direction and faultless cast, it is gripping from start to finish. It should also be said how timely this piece is, despite being set eight years ago, with themes on toxic masculinity and believing women, feeling all the more impactful now.”
British Theatre Guide: “It is one of the most inspiring, believable scenes of resistance and solidarity in the theatre for a very long time.”
WhatsOnStage: ***** “John Proctor is the Villain won seven Tony nominations when it was seen on Broadway, and it’s easy to see why. It is a play full of vitality, but also of vital questions. As it reaches its final cathartic scene, when Soverall and Raelynn perform an act of interpretative dance as part of their end of term examination, it fulfils its own premise. This is art that helps us to understand life, a tribute to literature as a map for comprehension, and to dance for expressing all the things that words cannot.”
London Theatre 1: *** “A strong and sophisticated script with a committed and convincing cast is rather let down by a sluggish production, and patience is only somewhat rewarded by the time the curtain call finally comes round.”
The Reviews Hub: **** 1/2 “That is all feels so raw and real, in no small part due to the performances of James and Soverall. Raelynn and Shelby are the crux of this powerful play and its reappraisal of Arthur Miller’s work. While The Crucible will doubtless continue to be taught in schools, one can only hope that the vital and compelling John Proctor is the Villain takes its place beside it in the curriculum.”
Theatre & Tonic: ***** “Sometimes, what moves people isn’t a highly complex work, but rather a story that contains the most sincere emotions and power within its simplicity. John Proctor is the Villain is exactly that.”
To book tickets visit: https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/john-proctor-is-the-villain/