THE Rococo Players are bringing Arthur Miller’s epic play The Crucible to the Sundial Theatre in Cirencester this week.

Arguably the greatest play in the modern era, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is based on real events in the town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, at a time when the residents of New England lived a life of strict religious conformism.

As the play opens, a group of young women gather in the woods to dance and to conjure spirits.

The town is soon gripped by accusations of witchcraft, its people living with a rising sense of fear and dread, and nobody knows where the finger of suspicion will point next.

Written at a time when the Cold War was at its height and Miller himself was accused of having communist sympathies, the historical events of 1692 became an allegory for his own experiences.

Echoing down the ages, the story of the Salem witch trials still finds resonance and relevance in our own troubled times.

The impact this play has on audiences also extends to the actors as well.

For two of the cast this is their third appearance in The Crucible, playing different characters each time and for another cast member it is his second appearance.

Three have played the lead part of John Proctor in the past while two have been in the same previous production playing different parts.

See The Crucible at the Sundial Theatre, Cirencester College GL7 1XA from Wednesday, November 7-Thursday, November 8.

7.30pm.

Tickets £15 (£12 for concessions) from therococoplayers.org.uk or by ringing 07764 455345.