“A Streetcar Named Desire” a play by Tennessee Williams

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Live broadcast of the Young Vic’s production at the Curzon Cinema, 16th September 2014

This is perhaps Tennessee Williams’ greatest play and certainly his most famous. This time the director, Benedict Andrews, mixes the original 1947 play with a more contemporary setting, including a revolving stage which serves as a harsh symbol of the lead character’s downward spiral to insanity. Gillian Anderson’s portrayal of Blanche was truly haunting and evoked memories of Bette Davis’ chilling Academy Award nominated performance in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

Gillian Anderson is complimented by Ben Foster who reprises Marlon Brando’s original, and almost untouchable, role as Stanley and Vanessa Kirby who plays her sister, Stella. It is hard to fault the intensity of the acting especially the physical scenes between Stella and Stanley and later on with Blanche’s demise – smeared lipstick and all. However the whole modernising concept was hit and miss. On the one hand it added brutality to what is already a brutal story and the disturbing noise effects with intermittent bursts of pop music worked well – the choice of Chris Issak’s Wicked Game definitely hit a nerve. There was a strange juxtaposition of costumes and props as mini skirts and new Louis Vuitton luggage shared a stage with 1940s silk dresses and a Chinese lantern. Also, most of the time, the revolving stage was disconcerting but that might be a live stream issue as one was simultaneously viewing the audience and the actors which was distracting. But then again there were moments when the total lack of a back stage came into its own by allowing the audience to witness the full cold aftermath of the rape scene and at the end when Blanche, accompanied by a doctor and on her way to be committed, simply walked round and round the revolving stage as if into never ending madness.

One of the joys after watching a Tennessee Williams play is the keener appreciation of Williams’ genius, yet amazing simplicity, with language. In one of the latter moments, during the heart wrenching unravelling of Blanche’s real life in front of lost beau, Mitch, she cries out “I don’t want realism. I want magic”. Blanche descended into insanity due to many unsavoury factors but can’t we all somehow relate to that line.