Operation Crucible NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (94)
See it if you want to see a superb ensemble in a taut drama about a WW II event in England
Don't see it if have trouble with British accents Read more
See it if you're interested in survival in England during WW2 & life/friendship in a steel factory. Beautifully performed, choreographed and written.
Don't see it if small, dark spaces make you feel claustrophobic; you are looking for a feel good play or a musical. This is an intense, well acted play.
See it if You thrill to great performances by well-trained actors working together like an outstanding Chamber Orchestra. That this play, which has
Don't see it if You can’t make it before June 3rd when it closes. Read more
See it if You are interested in a well-written, powerful, wartime slice of life drama.
Don't see it if You have trouble with thick accents or non-linear plot presentation.
See it if you'd enjoy a gritty, compelling, evocative, sparsely staged 4-hander about surviving UK working class life & the Luftwaffe bombing of 1940.
Don't see it if you have no interest in WWII and/or Britain; you have an allergy to stage smoke/fog; you're looking for something lighthearted & undemanding
See it if You like intimate theater. The four excellent actors brought the audience into their world in Sheffield.
Don't see it if You need a splashy production. This was quiet and intense. Highly recommend.
See it if you want to enter the world of four people whose lives are probably very different from yours, and discover what you have in common.
Don't see it if loud noises upset you, or if you're claustrophobic or afraid of the dark. Read more
See it if you enjoy interesting stories based on important historical events
Don't see it if you only like musical comedies
Critic Reviews (24)
“Knowles has molded and formed a fine piece of theater that shares with its audience not only this moment in time, but a doorway into the lives of the people who inhabited it. Delivered staccato, but melding together into musicality, the wonderfully crafted dialogue of the play reflects friendships of people knowing each other for a long period of time and riffing off of that familiarity in shared experience...A compelling story...sure not to leave you untouched.”
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“The cast are superb individually and as a team. Their ensemble work is brilliant. Bryony Shanahan’s tight direction adds much to the production. The simple set and costumes by Sophia Simensky are apt. Seth Rook Williams’s low lighting is effective and Daniel Foxsmith’s sound design is appropriately ominous. The only negative, and it is not a serious one, is that the thick Sheffield accent is occasionally hard to decipher.”
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“Powerfully directed with a machine-tooled precision of its own by Shanahan, limits its point of view to that of four people...Captures so efficiently the dividing of war’s devastation. And it is all accomplished on a single simple set, with a cast of four and 80 minutes of stage time...Research informs his script, yet it is woven with a confident seamlessness into a story of men who, for much of our time with them, can barely see what’s in front of them. There is not a wasted word or gesture.”
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“In this period of physical and spiritual darkness, the show's direction shines. Shanahan isn't afraid of murk any more than she is of silence...The ingenuity of the designers, director, and script is heightened by the cast. All convince as working-class Englishmen while remaining distinct personalities...The play's emotional whammy complements its historical specificity...A reminder of both our humanity and our capacity for brutality."
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“Mesmerizing...Features an outstanding cast...The story is a timeless perspective of the chaotic effects that war has on civilians...Each of the four men's past lives and their present circumstances are portrayed with spirit, heart and some humor...The cast deftly assume multiple roles to create a portrait of each character...The actors master the show's intriguing dialogue and its rapid scene changes...An unforgettable and affecting theatre experience.”
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"A powerful and energetic piece, plunging the audience into the blazing centre of the steelworks and the darkness of the bombed-out hotel's basement, with clever choreography and simple yet effective lighting changes...Although the play isn't telling new stories per se, it skilfully blends its focus on those who worked in the steel industry with its depiction of the war...Whilst it packs an emotional punch, it rarely gets swamped in sentimentality."
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"These moments are so many building blocks that don't add up to a play. The structuring of the episodes feels scattershot, and none of the characters emerges with a distinctive profile...The cast of four -- Salvatore D'Aquila, Christopher McCurry, James Wallwork, and Knowles -- is technically skilled, but Shanahan's direction is too high-pitched for theatre...This is the kind of narrative that is better suited to prose than the theatre. Everything about is well done, but it never catches fire."
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“The natural rhythm of the play extends the rhythm of the quartet's teamwork...Even in straightforward narration, they literally finish each other's sentences...as the story unfolds. As directed by Shanahan, it all becomes a highly choreographed and near poetic display...The heart-pounding events are dramatically reinforced...Thanks to the strong performances and supportive design elements, Americans are likely to find themselves caught up in a war story.”
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