Sigrid Thornton and Nathaniel Dean. Image by Gary Marsh.
Sigrid Thornton leads the way in Black Swan’s faithful presentation of Tennessee Williams’s classic work.
Having suffered a reversal of fortunes in her home of Mississippi, the main protagonist, Blanche Dubois, arrives on the eponymous vehicle to a street in New Orleans, looking for the home of her married sister, Stella. Blanche’s story and highfalutin manners fail to impress Stanley Kowalski, her brother-in-law, who in turn disgusts Blanche with his common, bestial ways. A poker night is held at Stan’s place, with the sisters leaving the men to their game. Arriving back early in the morning, Blanche meets Stan’s friend Mitch, but their initial interested introductions are soured by Stan drunkenly hitting Stella, who flees upstairs to the landlady’s rooms. Stan brokenheartedly calls for his wife in one of the play’s memorable moments, leading to their reconciliation and Blanche’s horrified dismay. Blanche does her best to maintain her personal façade, but finds that, as with the bright lights on her aging complexion, the stark truth reveals her fantasies to be nothing more than desperate dreams. Blanche’s birthday brings everything to a head: her conflict with Stan, her hopes for a future with Mitch and Stella’s labour, until Blanche finds herself, as ever, dependent on the kindness of strangers.
Sigrid Thornton’s portrayal of Blanche dominates the stage throughout. Thornton’s entire being quivers with the duplicitous nervousness of the ‘desperate old maid’, lost, with nowhere to go. Thornton’s commanding presence seizes the eye even as she sits still, barely breathing, at the table. Her languidly liquid vowels and lazily strangled consonants never falter, even when Blanche is spinning her nervous tales, spilling words out into the room in an attempt to make them come true, to refine her past into a more palatable picture. Thornton is the star attraction in this production, and delivers more than enough to make the ticket worth it for her performance alone.
Having said that, Jo Morris’s incarnation of Stella brings an edge to the role; more than a surrendered sexiness, she depicts a woman torn between loyalties, a human being who accepts the compromises in a complete life. Luke Hewitt as Mitch brings a simple solid man to life, the nuances of the conflicts raging in him more than any cookie-cutter portrayal of a working class dunce. Nathaniel Dean also takes advantage of the playwright’s rich characters by bringing the forceful physicality and dogged tenacity of Stan to the stage, but unlike his colleagues, he is let down by his accent work from time to time, especially when in the throes of strong emotions. This would be less jarring if everyone else were not so spot on with their lines, but with such a high standard to meet, it detracts from making the furious husband as believable as he could be.
The live musical accompaniment to the show is not only superbly performed, but combined with a soundscape of distant pianos, remembered waltzes and clattering streetcars, brings another dimension to the pre-air conditioned ambience of New Orleans. The set is awesome, a full house resplendent in faded glory, bringing the audience right into the domestic lives of the play. The hair, costumes and make up work with the context of the script, not attempting to re-imagine the setting but instead celebrating the characters and ideas as products of their own time, inviting us into the world of shabby house dresses, bowling shirts and modest hats and gloves.
Director Kate Cherry has not tried to put her own stamp on Tennessee Williams’s tightly written script, instead bringing out the best in each and every player, from Callum Fletcher’s gauche boy collecting for the paper to Thornton’s devastating Blanche. The fidelity to the staging instructions, down to the mist lingering in the alleyways, is perfect, with the capabilities of the Heath Ledger Theatre used to full effect, without being over the top or detracting from the drama as it unfolds.
Black Swan State Theatre Company again delivers a magnificent large-scale dramatic production, showcasing top talent both on stage and behind the scenes, bringing a thought-provoking classic to life.
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
A Streetcar Named Desire
By Tennessee Williams
Presented by Black Swan State Theatre Company
Director: Kate Cherry
Assistant Director: Laurie Cullen-Tait
Set & Costume Designer: Christina Smith
Lighting Designer: Matt Scott
Sound Designer/Composer: Ben Collins
Fight Director: Andy Fraser
Movement Director: Chrissie Parrott
Vocal Coach: Melissa Agnew
Assistant Set & Costume Designer: India Mehta
Stage Manager: Peter Sutherland
Performed by Benj D’Addario, Nathaniel Dean, Callum Fletcher, Luke Hewitt, Michael Loney, Rhoda Lopez, Jo Morris, Sigrid Thornton, Steve Turner, Alison van Reeken and Irma Woods
Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre, Perth Cultural Centre, Roe St
www.bsstc.com.au
15 March – 6 April
