The Conor Baum Company
and Brighton Open Air Theatre (co-production)

Director, Conor Baum

Arthur Miller’s ‘Greek’ play set in an Italian blue collar community of 1950’s New York has become one of American theatre’s iconic texts. Inspired by the form of Greek tragedy the play charts the gradual isolation of patriarch Eddie and his inevitable slide toward family breakup.

Eddie and wife Beatrice are the guardians of Catherine, Beatrice’s late sister’s 17 year old daughter. At the start of the play Catherine, academically bright, has been offered a well paid office job as a stenographer with the opportunity of advancement to secretary. At first Eddie objects to her leaving school, but is persuaded by the two women to agree.

Eddie and Beatrice have agreed to give accommodation to brothers Rodolpho and Marco, arriving from a poor Italian fishing community as ‘submarines’, illegal workers smuggled in by an underground group that offer passage in return for cheap labour in payment of the debt.

Eddie’s suspicions are aroused when Catherine becomes attracted to young Rodolpho and as their relationship develops his search for more and more reasons to object run from the comedic and the absurd (he’s blond, he sings and dances, he can cook) to the darker un-Italian and not masculine.

The outdoor staging works well, this is technically accomplished production that respects theatre. The company of players are equally excellent and fully committed to their characters. 

The core of the story is carried by the family group and new arrival Rodolpho. Jamie Kenna is perfectly cast as the confused, beleaguered and eventually bullying Eddie, complemented most effectively by Natalie Moon as the exasperated resilient peacemaker Beatrice. Lucy Chamberlain is the excited, ambitious, determined Catherine whose  growing relationship with Joshua Hogan as the singing and dancing dreamer Rodolpho is the root of Eddie’s problems.

They are supported by Patrick McHugh as Marco, Rodolpho’s sensible older brother, worried about his wife and children back in Italy, doing what he can to support them, but ultimately concerned by traditions of family honour protected by confrontation and revenge.

Sharon Drain as the lawyer Alfieri is our story teller, the play’s Greek Chorus.

David Samson and Benjamin Darlington complete the cast as multiple characters, making an eerily spectacular twilight entrance as a pair of raiding immigration officers.

Conor Baum’s direction respects Miller’s intention and has guided his cast to a production that could stand on a stage at The Royal Court or The Dorfman.

Highly recommended.

Brighton Open Air Theatre
Wednesday 5th to Saturday 8th 2026