Broken Glass review: this Arthur Miller play feels hyper-relevant today

The Crucible at the Globe last summer was strong and All My Sons, still playing at Wyndham’s Theatre, is a work of art. Broken Glass is just as intense as these both, despite being a lesser-known production.

It’s the tale of an unhappy marriage of a Jewish couple in Brooklyn in the 1930s. Sylvia Gellburg is a housewife who has lost the ability to use her legs. The doctors can’t work out why.

At the same time, Sylvia becomes interested in the news. In fact, she becomes obsessed with the news - dominated by the rise of the Nazis in Europe.

These two things become linked when the slightly creepy Dr Hyman establishes that Sylvia’s immobility has no medical cause.

Her husband Phillip spends a lot of time reminding people his surname is Gellburg and not Goldberg. He’s hyper-conscious of his Jewish identity, something which plays out throughout the show.

The acting is strong, with the small cast portraying the intensity of the script.

The set isn’t complicated and doesn’t change much between settings. Instead, the lighting in the theatre changes: at times you’re sitting in the dark and in other settings, you’re treated to super-bright hospital lighting.

The characters stay on stage for prolonged periods of time, often sitting around waiting for their scene to start up. This can make it quite confusing at times.

It’s a long production too - coming in at a bladder-busting two hours without an interval.

The issue of antisemitism and war in Europe remains a live issue today - the production has certainly stood the test of time.

Broken Glass runs at the Young Vic until April 18.