Theatre Review: Broken Glass, Axbridge Town Hall.
You don’t have to be Jewish to be terrified of Hitler’s Kristallnacht in 1930s Germany, but it helps. And if you are locked into an unhappy marriage, it can also be the trigger for a nervous breakdown and an involuntary paralysis of the legs. And so, it is for Sylvia Gellburg in Arthur Miller’s 1994 play Broken Glass who having ‘read the papers’ about victimised Jews cleaning the streets of Nazi Germany with toothbrushes on the orders of laughing Nazis is confined to a wheelchair, apparently unable to walk. Rather than the middle-aged New York housewife who should be studied by Doctor Harry Hyman it’s her in-denial husband Phillip who needed to be treated in the psycho drama.
Arthur Miller’s 1994 play Broken Glass was brought to life in Axbridge with a production that is as relevant now as it was when the terrifying events of pre-World War Two took place. The action set in a New York apartment is about a relationship gone wrong – one based on domination, violence and control rather than love. A relationship that is all too familiar then, as it is now. Phillip Gellburg (not Goldman as he insists) played by Chris Jarman is angry that his healthy-looking wife Sylvia is confined to a wheelchair – but he also claims to have sex two or three times a week – with the audience taking a collective intake of breath and secretly thinking – you’ve got to be kidding me. The drama is a slow unravelling of their relationship prompted by the questioning of the tweed suited Dr Harry Hyman (Tony Leach). We don’t know his secret, but the good doctor has a way with women as his wife Margaret (Katie Underhay) is the epitome of sassy sexiness and cheerfulness. Perhaps she has it three times a week – but I digress.
Axbridge Community Theatre’s production is enhanced by David Parkin’s set design installed by Dave Moore, John Dunstone, Paul Pritchard, and Taddy Horacek which included period fittings of a desk, chair, radio and that essential of 1930s Jewish households – a drinks trolley. The costumes were excellent with Stanton Case’s (Phil Saunders) maritime suit a highlight with Margaret Hyman’s mustard yellow dress another and Harriet’s polka dot dress pure class. Director John Bailey didn’t need to employ a speech coach as by and large the cast sounded like they had all stepped off the Staten Island Ferry with Chris Jarman’s Bronx accent straight out of Jerome Avenue.
In her sunray pleat electric blue negligee Jo Case as Sylvia was excellent value as the beautiful if tragic victim of a failed relationship and understandably as a Jewish housewife of fretting about the rise of the Nazis. Her concerns were understood by Dr Harry Hyman who was given an easy and empathetic persona by the excellent Tony Leach as he relaxed in his chair unpicking the Gellburg’s abusive marriage. Phil Saunders as a business associate of Phillip cut a dash in his nautical outfit – who wouldn’t have looked out of place in Anything Goes. There was strong support from Sian Tutill as Harriet – the straight-talking nork-nork broad – with an accent to match – and from Katie Underhay whose effervescent personality briefly lights up the depressing atmosphere of the Gellburg’s apartment. An outstanding cast with superb performances by Tony Leach and Chris Jarman whose chutzpah-esque doctor-patient spiel was the glue that kept the near full house gripped throughout this classy production.
Harry Mottram
Details: Axbridge & Bristol Tour – Axbridge Town Hall – Wednesday 26th March to Saturday 29th March 2025 – 7.30 PM; The Alma Tavern Clifton – Tuesday 1st April to Wednesday 2nd April 2025 – 8.00PM
Tickets on: [https://sites.google.com/site/axcomtheatre/broken-glass](https://sites.google.com/site/axcomtheatre/broken-glass)
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International on behalf of Josef Weinberger Ltd.
Dress Rehearsal Photography by Adam Clutterbuck
I wrote a preview for the play which gives some context at https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/2025/03/21/axbridge-review-you-dont-have-to-be-jewish-and-a-new-yorker-to-have-a-nervous-breakdown-over-kristallnacht-a-preview-of-axbridge-community-theatres-production-of-arthur-millers-play-broken-gl/
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