All My Sons
The Old Vic. April 15, 2019
All My Sons is Arthur Miller’s first successful stage play written in the 40s. It’s a post war story of a family in a small town with picket fences and perfect yards; where family secrets lurk waiting to be revealed. It deals with the business of war and relationships — father and son, mother and son, neighbours, business partners.
Field and Pullman are the Kellers. He’s a successful business man who runs a factory, they lost one son in the war and their surviving son (Morgan) is looking to create his own life and marry Ann (Coleman). And so their secrets unfold.
After having seen something so bonkers last week (Grief is a Thing) this could have seemed pedestrian in its very traditional structure but it’s not, as with all Miller it is never how you first think it to be. There is so much more to each layer of the story, the sorrow, the anger and anguish, the heartache than you ever expect.
The stand out for me was Colin Morgan. He was magnificent as the son who seeks freedom from his brothers death and his mothers grief but who is ultimately betrayed by his father’s weakness.
Field was everything I hoped she would be and the emotional honesty of her performance of a woman who has lived surrounded by lies to protect herself and her family is heartbreaking. And yet of all the characters she retains that steeliness you truly see only in mothers.
Coleman was a great surprise and excellent as Ann a character that is so much more than the pretty girl they all want her to be.
I was less engaged by Pullman’s performance as Joe Keller. I’m not sure why as my theatre buddy loved him but for me he felt under rehearsed.
4/5 Excellent.
