11/04/2026

Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge – Q Theatre: April 9, 2026 (13th Floor Theatre Review)

A View from the Bridge is a trip — back in time to the 1950s, and to another place, Brooklyn, NY. They did things differently there. Male toxicity was very much cushioned by feminine tolerance and genuine love. When Eddie Carbone the Brooklyn long-shoreman supports his illegal immigrant cousins one of them falls for his niece. There is a tragic end after yet another primal male showdown.

Directed by Anapela Polata’ivao

It was clear that someone was going to die. The format of a Greek tragedy and the pared-back setting allowed emotions and passions to come to the fore. Thanks to Music Theatre International (Australasia) we shared the deep dark hum that made you feel like you were inside Eddie’s angry head. We knew there was no other way out.

“In the round” was a new configuration for me to see at the Q theatre. It’s another clever device to make us feel in the space with the actors. I thought “in the round” was Shakespearian. I was corrected by a theatre enthusiast next to me. It goes way back but had a resurrection in the mid 20th century . He said that the last time he has seen the configuration at Q was Michael Hurst in “Chicago” in 2012. AND MH was actually spotted on the night. It seemed like it was a night to celebrate everything theatrical and its deepest traditions. Everyone in the house was sitting next to someone theatrical. It seemed any one of the audience could leap into action should any of the fit and capable cast fail.

The atmosphere was fizzing from the moment we arrived at Q bar, that beautiful transitional space between Queen Street and the inner sanctum and Industrial chic of Silo. It could never be accused of trying too hard but it works.

The same could be said for the set and staging inside the theatre. The chair was not only an outstanding feature: it was the only feature. Just one chair. So much hung on it. It came to symbolise so much. At one point putting Eddie in that chair forced him into a listening, open psychological state. If only he had listened to the words of the lawyer who advised acceptance of the new relationship. He couldn’t do it. He thought himself heroic but his betrayal of family to Immigration created nothing but grief. Without him boy meets girl. They have hopes and dreams, they marry. All good … but where is the drama in that?

Arthur Miller’s play is one of the imperfect stories that new migrants experience. No doubt stories of the dawn raid still resonate in Pacific Island communities, and are part of the folklore of director Anapela Polata’ivao and this talented group of mainly Pasifika actors. There were strong performances from all of them. Beulah Koale as Eddie was a special presence, commanding the stage with the power and energy that made you feel his commitment to his truth, and to go along for the ride.

This play from the 50’s shows the enduring story of arriving in a new country and how hopeful and precarious the experience is. Immigration is the story of most of this audience. We need to have each other’s backs, be it a longshoreman in NY circa 50s, a Samoan factory worker in the 70s, or the “illegals” being rounded up today by Trump’s ICE. It creates tensions which still resonate with anyone who will listen. We are seated in chairs. Are we listening?

Arthur Miller doesn’t concern himself with leaving the punters feeling upbeat. I felt relieved that I was relatively unshaken after all the Drama. Maybe it was the seasoned but enthusiastic crowd. Maybe it was the good news that the more endearing hopeful characters lived on. If it had been either of the two new arrivals it would have been more cynical.

There is change and there is something to look forward to. There is pain and drama in the process. But that’s Theatre.

NRG

Click on any image to view a photo gallery: