The Crucible at Shakespeare’s Globe: ‘classic study of hysteria and herd behaviour’

Steve Furst and Jo Stone-Fewings are enjoyable as the two reverends, Parris and Hale; the former pumped up by the chance to capitalise on a scandal that originated under his roof (Abigail is his niece); the latter’s smug early conviction slowly torn to shreds. Joanne Howard and Howard Ward are also good as Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey, respectively the embodiments of the village’s moral core and its truculent, nonconformist tendency. Gareth Snook, however, turns the prosecutor Danforth into a panto villain, reminiscent of Vincent Price’s Witchfinder General. A good Crucible, but not a great one.