Writer: Tennessee Williams

Director: David Thacker

Reviewer: John Roberts

The Public Reviews Rating:

The Octagon Theatre launches its new, year long season with a revival of one of Tennessee Williams’ most popular and famous plays. So it may come as a bit of a surprise to tell you that this will be the first time I have ever seen the piece, I haven’t read the script or seen the now cult film, so I came to it completely with a fresh pair of eyes.

What is clear with this season’s debut is that Williams’ script is strong. It stands the test of time, It has the undeniable ability to agitate it’s audience into question their own moral stance on the situation that unravels before them. I had heard from many sources that the piece is centred on the pivotal role of Stanley Kowalski as he deals with the unwelcomed and surprised stay from his wife Stella’s older sister Blanche DuBois. However in Thacker’s slick but overly long (3.5hours) production it is the relationship between sisters Stella & Blanche that is the pivot in this revolving slice of New Orleans life. Blanche is an ageing ‘Southern Belle’ who relives a past that never happened in order to forget a recent past event that meant she had to leave her job as a small town schoolteacher and seek refuge in the arms of her younger sister. As events unfold through Williams’ three act piece the newly pregnant Stella provides support above and beyond the call of duty towards her sister, whilst her straight talking husband Stanley has no patience for Blanche’s delusions of grandeur and sets out to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

The strength of Thacker’s production is the ability to make each character on stage believable and make a connection with its audience, helped by setting the production in the round. On a rugged and drained white set designed by Cairan Bagnall we get a strong sense of the cramped conditions the Kowalski’s are put under and we start to feel and sense the cracks ripping the family apart from the off.

Once again Kieran Hill provides a strong performance as the over bearing husband Stanley in a staggeringly articulate portrayal of a man at the edge of his patience, really coming into his own during the final third of the production, and another welcome and honed performance is given from Huw Higginson as the shy and likable Mitch. However it is the partnership of Clare Foster (Blanche) and Amy Nuttall (Stella) who steal the show this is inspired casting and one which at first I was a little sceptical about however all worries were quickly blown away. Nuttall is beautifully nuanced as the wide-eyed sister caught between the conflicting headlights of Blanche and Stanley, she is emotionally grounded from the off and gives a performance that is worthy of high praise. Whilst Foster provides a carefully thought out balancing act between Blanche’s dignified beauty and manic delusions – here we have a character that ultimately we should hate for everything she has brought upon the people around her but instead Foster manages to find and bring to the stage a portrayal in which we ultimately sympathise with, this is a performance which has awards written all of it.

Despite its length and several superfluous black outs/scene settings taking place this is a beautifully crafted piece of theatre which may leave you running for the last train home, but in the end is an ultimately rewarding theatrical experience.

Photo: Ian Tilton – Runs until 9th October

A Streetcar Named Desire – Octagon Theatre, Bolton, 3.3 out of 5 based on 3 ratings

Tags: A Streetcar Named Desire, Amy Nuttall, Bolton Octagon, Cairan Bagnall, Clare Foster, David Thacker, Huw Higginson, Kieran Hill, Tennessee Williams