A Streetcar Named Desire

I went to see a recent production of a streetcar named desire at the Donmar warehouse in Covent Garden last weekend. I was expecting great things from all the fantastic reviews and found that they only gave a tiny insight into this superb performance. I was amazed by the way in which it portrayed Tennessee Williams’ brilliance as the writer of the play.

The play was first opened on 3 December 1947 and was later adapted to a film in 1951, in which the director, Elia Kazan, insisted on keeping the film true to the play. A review by Tim Durks explains the plot:

The electrifying film tells the feverish story of the pathetic mental and emotional demise of a determined, yet fragile, repressed and delicate Southern lady (Blanche) born to a once-wealthy family of Mississippi planters. Her impoverished, tragic downfall in the squalid, cramped and tawdry French Quarter one-bedroom apartment of her married sister (Stella) and animalistic brother-in-law (Stanley) is at the hands of savage, brutal forces in modern society. In her search for refuge, she finds that her sister lives (approvingly) with drunkenness, violence, lust, and ignorance.

Seeing this recent production, reminded me of how much I enjoyed studying the play at A level and having an insight into the workings of Tennessee Williams’ mind. It is inspirational to see how Tennessee used the theatre to escape from his hard background. With a Mother who thought of herself as a southern Belle, a bully of a father and coming down with an illness as a young child, he became a very apprehensive character. However, it was the theatre that made him feel secure. He received a 30-minute standing ovation on his first night and also won the Pulitzer price and the New York Drama Critics’ Award. Moreover, the play was considered controversial, as he bravely introduced homosexuality, desire, and rape into the production, which at that time would have shocked many people.

In addition, Rachel Weisz, who played the leading role, Blanche Dubois was also a massive inspiration. She had the audience gripped throughout the whole play with a southern accent that never faltered and her constant energy on stage left me feeling exhausted for her when it finished. She manages to maintain the vulnerable, delusional character that craves love and security, in which Tennessee identifies with.