It is almost 70 years since Arthur Miller’s All My Sons was first staged, but for a modern audience it has lost none of its bite. An unflinching examination of greed; of idealism; of self-delusion; of family; of responsibility to one’s immediate surroundings versus wider social responsibility; the themes are just as pertinent today as they were in 1947.

Miller took the basis of his plot from a true story: during the Second World War a manufacturer knowingly provided faulty aeroplane parts to the US army, resulting in the deaths of many soldiers. In the play, Joe and his partner Steve (who remains unseen) are the manufacturers. Three years before the play began Steve was sent to prison whilst Joe was exonerated, claiming he was unaware the parts were defective.

Joe has sacrificed everything for the prosperity of his family. He has lost one son, Larry, in the war, but his wife Kate refuses to accept that he is dead, clinging on to the idea that he is just missing, and will return. Chris, their remaining son, wishes to marry Larry’s sweetheart, Annie, who just happens to be Steve’s daughter. As the family gathers, the truth about what really happened three years ago begins to catch up with Joe, with devastating consequences.

After a fairly slow first act, Talawa Theatre Company’s adaptation suddenly comes alive. The tension that has been growing snaps, much like Larry’s memorial tree, and the confrontation between Leemore Marrett Jr’s Chris, and Ray Shell’s Joe is electrifying. When Chris says to his father, “I know you’re no worse than most men, but I thought you were better,” the audience shares his heartbreak. Mention must also be made of Doña Croll as Kate. The most subtly complex of all the characters in the play, Croll is utterly convincing as the maternal centre, doing anything she can to keep the family together.

As sharp now as when first performed, Talawa Theatre Company pack a powerful punch.   ★★★★☆   Debrorah Sims    Oxford  18/03/15