Scottish Ballet's The Crucible: never less than thrilling

Bruno Micchiardi as John Proctor in Helen Pickett's The Crucible

Scottish Ballet in Helen Pickett's The Crucible

Bruno Micchiardi and Jessica Fyfe in Helen Pickett's The Crucible

Thomas Edwards as Danforth in Helen Pickett's The Crucible

Rishan Benjamin as Mary in Helen Pickett's The Crucible

By Kathy Elgin, 06 May 2025

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“he swings her high and around; she scissors her legs round him in triumphant possession”

Reviewed at Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on 1 May 2025

The Crucible (Helen Pickett)

Scottish Ballet

Emma Kingsbury, Set Designer, Costume Designer

David Finn, Lighting Designer, Set Designer

Bruno Micchiardi, Dancer

Jessica Fyfe, Dancer

Kayla-Maree Tarantolo, Dancer

Anna Tsygankova is a riveting Lady Macbeth in Amsterdam

Vikki Jane Vile, 6th April

Dutch National Ballet give committed performances in Helen Pickett’s latest literary adaptation in a full-length Lady Macbeth.

***11

American Ballet Theatre: Crime and Punishment punishes the audience

Ivy Lin, 30th October

Great novels make bad ballets. There might be exceptions to this rule, but this isn't it.

**111

Balletic alchemy in Scottish Ballet's The Crucible

Graham Watts, 14th June

Helen Pickett's slick and revealing adaptation of Arthur Miller's play receives its London premiere at Sadler's Wells.

***11

An evening with Scottish Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival

Graham Watts, 8th August

A worthwhile addition to the locker of lockdown digital dance.

***11

Magical images, tulips and a lobster at Kansas City Ballet

Hilary Stroh, 11th October

Adam Hougland's premiere of Carmina Burana in Kansas City.

****1

Triumphant Tulsa Ballet

Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, 6th March

Bravo to Tulsa Ballet for doing everything they needed to do for a successful appearance at The Joyce Theater.

****1

More reviews...

Kathy Elgin

After a career in publishing, Kathy Elgin turned her enthusiasm for dance into a real job by joining the late, great John Percival, Dance Critic of The Times, in his re-launch of Dance and Dancers magazine in 1981. She was later delighted to join its rival, The Dancing Times, as Scottish correspondent until the magazine’s sad demise in 2022. She lives in Edinburgh.