Get ready for a steamy night of passion in New Orleans
A Streetcar named desire by Tennessee Williams, directed by Wendy Kay, at Rugby Theatre from 8 – 15 March 2025.
Review by Ann Evans
Certainly, congratulations are in order to the cast and Director for this performance of the Tennessee Williams classic, A Streetcar Named Desire which was first staged in New York City in December 1947 and today ranks as one of the most performed plays by amateur and professional theatres alike.
And if you're eagerly clutching your tickets for one of the performances this week at Rugby Theatre, be warned that you are not in for an easy, relaxed night at the theatre. There’s non-stop dialogue – not always easy to grasp with the characters speaking in such a strong Southern Mississippi drawl – which incidentally, they did perfectly. On top of that there’s the rising tension going on between husband Stanley Kowalski played by Chris Allen-Mason and his sister-in-law Blanche DuBois played by Mia Ballard.
Blanche, a Southern Belle, who has now fallen on hard times, turns up unexpectedly at her younger sister, Stella’s rather shabby New Orleans apartment and soon lets her disdain for the standard of living - and the husband himself, be known - sentiments which enrage Stanley.
Hollybeth Gourlay takes the role of Stanley’s wife Stella who is in the early stages of pregnancy and is blissfully happy with the simple life she and her husband lead. But the complexities of Blanche – who we slowly realise is mentally unstable, soon bring out the worst in Stanley. The imbalance of having this loud, confident, outspoken woman suddenly making her presence known in his domain throws everybody off -key, and passion, anger and frustration erupt suddenly and violently.
The acting by all ten members of the cast is superb, with a special mention to Mia Ballard as Blanche. This play is two-hour forty-minutes long, and Mia barely pauses for breath throughout the entire performance and not once falters in delivering her lines in that strong Southern accent.
Hollybeth Gourlay also puts on an excellent performance in a quieter more subtle manner as the subservient wife; and hot-headed Stanley played by Chris Allen-Mason shocked audiences with his violent outbursts when pushed too far. Also excellent in his role was Gareth Cooper who plays Harold ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, a mild-mannered man who falls for Blanche’s beguiling ways and gets his heart broken.
While Act One is mainly all dialogue, Act Two is packed with action and drama as tempers rise and anger boils over. Throughout the play the atmosphere successfully take you into the sultry climate of New Orleans in the late 1940s, with an authentic setting and clothing from that era. But one thing that did go a little too far in authenticity was the characters smoking for a good portion of the play, with the smell of the smoke, real or otherwise (but certainly smelt real) drifting out into the auditorium - this being the reason maybe for the air-con being on in March.
That aside, prepare yourself for an evening of passion, emotion and drama as Rugby Theatre excel in their production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Book your tickets at: https://www.rugbytheatre.co.uk/
** 'A Streetcar Named Desire' - smoking statement. **
The actors in A Streetcar Named Desire simulate cigarette smoking throughout the play, using specialist herbal cigarettes, for on-stage use, containing no tobacco.
The use of smoking is a considered device throughout the play, helping to set the social context and period of late 1940’s New Orleans.
Many instances of smoking are clear in the dialogue and stage directions given by Tennessee Williams; others have been evolved by the director and cast, as part of character development.
Comments