All My Sons, by Ulverston Outsiders, runs at the Coronation Hall until Friday November 17

WHEN you hear of a company staging an Arthur Miller play, it brings to mind the tragedy of Death of a Salesman or the injustice of The Crucible.

All My Sons is a less well known, but equally powerful play, and, like all of Miller’s great works, it points to society and its failed promises.

There are few places in the world today that can disregard the warnings All My Sons contains against profiteering from conflict, personal greed, betrayal of friends and grief for those lost in war. The Ulverston Outsiders have created a performance that holds a magnifying glass up to these themes and makes you take in every terrible detail of a family life built on secrets and lies.

The central roles of Joe and Kate Keller are performed with building intensity by Chris Barron and Ceri Hutton who light up the stage with their chemistry.

The confusion and bewilderment of their son, Chris, is ably performed by Duncan Lindsay, as he watches his family unravel around him. Hannah Mitchell perfectly captures Ann Deever’s rejection of her father, and her brother George, played by Outsiders stalwart Adam Atkinson, appears in Act Two to argue his father’s case and attempt to change her mind.

The roles of Frank Lubey, Lydia Lubey, Sue Bayliss and Jim Bayliss played by Paul Jordan, Hayley Parsons, Jenny Schofield and John Brice respectively, bring a wonderful sense of the fragility and resentments of modern society.

The play is placed in the round which adds to feeling of tension and draws the audience in; the simplicity of the set contrasting the complexity of the characters’ emotions. The memorial tree blown down by the storm and cast aside reflects the loss of morality of Joe Keller during the war and his betrayal of his business partner Steve.

This is an intense and well crafted production that builds from a light hearted opening scene to a shocking conclusion and packs a serious theatrical punch. The Director, Jean Hunt, and her team have created another Ulverston Outsiders’ success, with thanks going to the students of Furness College for their work on hair and make-up.

If you can get a ticket you owe it to yourself to catch this performance.

Review by DOM MCCAVISH