A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller
Directed by Louise Fischer and Luke Visentin
Review by Damien Barrett @_helloshoppers
There are some plays that feel like they belong to another time. A View From The Bridge is definitely not one of them.
Arthur Miller’s play is set in 1950s Brooklyn, but watching this production at New Theatre in 2026, I couldn’t help feeling just how painfully relevant it is. A story about immigration, outsiders, belonging, masculinity, fear and the suspicion of those who are seen as “different” feels particularly raw at the moment — especially against the backdrop of what is happening in the United States with ICE raids, xenophobia and the increasingly hostile rhetoric around immigration.
And I found myself sitting there thinking… how did we get here again?
This is a really strong ensemble production. There is a genuine sense that this is a group of people who know each other, live alongside each other and have a shared history. That makes the gradual escalation of the tension all the more effective, because you can feel the relationships starting to fracture as Eddie’s obsession takes hold.
Alex Bryant-Smith is excellent as Eddie. He gives us a character who is incredibly complicated — loving and protective on one hand, but increasingly possessive, insecure and destructive on the other. What I particularly liked was that Eddie never becomes a straightforward villain. Much like the antihero’s of Greek tragedy (upon which the directors gained inspiration) you can understand some of his motivations while simultaneously becoming increasingly uncomfortable with where they take him. Bryant-Smith handles that gradual deterioration really well.
Megan Elizabeth Kennedy is equally impressive as Beatrice. There is a warmth and emotional intelligence to her performance that really stood out for me. Beatrice is often caught between Eddie and the increasingly difficult situation around them, and Kennedy brings a real sense of humanity and vulnerability to her. Her performance gives the relationship between Eddie and Beatrice much more emotional weight.
And the chemistry across the younger trio of Finn Couzner as Rudolpho, Georgia da Silva as Catherine and Jonathon Nicola as Marco is excellent. All three bring a real energy to the production, and their relationships feel natural rather than staged. Couzner brings an appealing openness and vulnerability to Rudolpho, while da Silva captures Catherine’s transition from young woman to someone increasingly caught in the middle of very adult decisions. Nicola’s Marco is quietly compelling, particularly as his relationship with Eddie becomes increasingly strained. Together, the three have a great chemistry that adds another layer to the already strong ensemble.
There were a couple of things that didn’t quite work for me. The ballet sequence felt a little out of place and, for me, interrupted the flow rather than adding to it. I also thought the motivation behind Eddie kissing Rodolpho could have been clearer. The significance of Eddie doing it to “prove” that Rodolpho is gay is important to understanding Eddie’s obsession and his desperation to discredit Rodolpho, but that motivation felt slightly underplayed and got a little lost in the moment.
Those are relatively minor criticisms though, because this is otherwise a very cohesive and thought-provoking production.
Co-directors Luke Visentin and Louise Fischer have done an excellent job bringing all of this together. The production builds steadily, allowing the tension to creep up on you rather than hitting you over the head with it. And by the end, I was left thinking less about the fact that this is a play written decades ago and more about just how familiar some of it feels today.
That’s probably the thing I liked most about this production. It doesn’t feel like a history lesson. It feels current.
And perhaps that’s also what makes it so uncomfortable.
A really strong ensemble, with standout performances from Alex Bryant-Smith and Megan Elizabeth Kennedy, and a production that gives you plenty to think about on the way home.
Highly recommended.
Although I still can’t quite shake that question…
How did we get here… again?
A View from the Bridge plays the New Theatre through 5 September
In his past lives, Damien was a drag queen and musical theatre actor. He made his stage debut as a fat cow in a school production of Joseph in 1984. He holds a BA with a major in drama from the University of Newcastle. He is completely obsessed with musical theatre – especially Broadway divas.
Since relocating to Sydney at the beginning of 2024, he attends every musical he can get to and lives with his partner and grumpy 12-year-old poodle.
His claim to fame is that he once met Patti Lupone in New York and she was nice to him.