John Proctor Is the Villain Review: #MeToo Reimagines The Crucible
Kimberly Belflower's revisionist take on Arthur Miller's classic The Crucible respins the witch-hunts for the #MeToo generation in a compelling production at London's Royal Court theatre. Set in a small-town Georgia high school in 2018, the play follows a classroom of teenagers—predominantly girls—as they navigate adolescent girlhood in the direct aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
A Classroom Sparked by Headlines
The narrative centers on a group of students who want to establish a feminist club, an idea initially deemed too controversial until charismatic teacher Carter Smith, played by Dónal Finn, intervenes. Smith suggests including boys to make the club more palatable, setting the stage for complex explorations of gender dynamics. The characters are vividly drawn:
- Beth (Holly Howden Gilchrist) is the academic overachiever.
- Ivy (Clare Hughes) grapples with her father being accused of inappropriate workplace behavior.
- Nell (Lauryn Ajufo) is the new girl trying to find her place.
- Raelynn (Miya James) is a pastor's daughter dealing with betrayal by her ex-boyfriend.
- Shelby (Sadie Soverall), whose absence is a key plot point, is Raelynn's estranged best friend.
Parallels with The Crucible
Directed by Danya Taymor and performed straight through in under two hours, the script's pivotal element is the class's study of The Crucible under Mr. Smith. As the students delve into Miller's play, they uncover troubling parallels with contemporary issues of sex and power. Their growing understanding of intersectional feminism leads to adult realizations about predatory male behavior, which has remained largely unspoken among these teenagers until now.
Flashes of personal drama are highlighted with pointed spotlights on each character, accompanied by exuberant pop culture references to artists like Lorde, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé. The initial Dead Poets Society vibe gradually sours as the dark contemporary relevance of Miller's play emerges, though the parallels remain somewhat hazy—Ivy's father is seen as a potential casualty of a witch-hunt, yet there's also a raised consciousness about male predation.
Performances and Dialogue
Sadie Soverall delivers a standout performance in a role originally played by Sadie Sink in Taymor's Broadway production. Her chemistry with Miya James as estranged best friends is both intimate and awkwardly goofy, creating a tender and convincing dynamic. Belflower's dialogue masterfully captures the way girls communicate with each other, blending humor and pathos while reflecting how they internalize the world's micro-aggressions toward women.
However, the relationships sometimes feel flattened by their cuteness rather than being sharp-edged and gritty, which is often characteristic of the transition from girlhood to adulthood. The play easily passes the Bechdel test—the male characters are largely portrayed as dolts—but some viewers might wish for more complexity in the interactions between the female characters.
Moral Equivalences and Ending
The play sets up a potential false equivalence between Miller's John Proctor—a morally complicated figure who betrays his wife but upholds his principles—and the predatory male in this story, who is depicted as a repellent serial groomer and abuser with little nuance. This contrast raises questions about the nature of villainy in different eras.
The production concludes with a surge of emotion as the students enact their liberation through a dance version of scenes from The Crucible where the girls have fits. Two performers deliver an interpretive dance that aesthetically resembles a wilder version of Taylor Swift's Fortnight video. This ending brings a emotional high, yet it feels somewhat neat and easy—nothing has fundamentally changed, and the predator remains in the room, which is precisely the point but may leave audiences wanting more resolution.
A Moving Reflection of Its Time
Despite its flaws, John Proctor Is the Villain is a moving play that captures the mood of 2018 for a bewildered generation of girls growing into womanhood under the shadow of Weinstein. In the face of contemporary backlash, it feels almost historical, prompting poignant questions: Remember #MeToo? What has come of it? And what are these girls thinking now? The production runs at the Royal Court theatre in London until April 25, offering a timely exploration of feminism, power, and legacy.
