Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is widely regarded to be one of the best written, and most influential, plays of the twentieth century, blending lyrical dialogue with expressionistic stage direction to create truly embodied, multi-faceted characters and relationships. Woodplayers’ recent production, directed by Lily Gilchrist, and assisted by Jaspinder Kaur, brought this to life fantastically: the directorial vision was thoughtful and developed, injecting life into Williams’ script in a way that felt fresh despite the traditional interpretation.
For a play so concerned with lighting – from Blanche’s fear of being seen in direct light, to Stanley’s obsession with the ‘coloured lights’ that epitomise his and Stella’s relationship – it was fantastic to see the Mark Hillery technical capabilities used to their full potential. Production Manager Evie Collins, and Lighting Designer Leyla Aysan Montoya should be commended for their creative use of lighting features, including travelling strobes underpinned by train noise at the beginning of the play, and washes of blue throughout. Their designs perfectly complimented the set, designed by Millie Booth and Faye Hughes, which made clever use of a black mesh curtain across the front of the stage to delineate between inside and outside space; that the interior space of the Kowalski house was still visible even when the curtain was pulled across points to the stifling nature of the interior space, impossible for the characters, especially Blanche, to escape the violent implications of the Kowalski abode.
As the Kowalskis, Ollie Cochran and Roxy Rayward as Stanley and Stella respectively, have a fantastic understanding of their characters, and their relationships with others around them. Cochran’s stage presence is magnificent, and his conviction never falters, whether in scenes charged by erotic tensions, violence, Stanley’s desire to assert his own masculine authority, or in many cases, a combination of the three. A real highlight of Cochran’s acting is his ability to portray emotion vocally, adjusting tone and volume as seen especially in his guttural shouting of Stella’s name to plead her forgiveness. Rayward has a similarly impressive physical ability, playfully flirting with her husband and assuming erotic power over him, well directed by Gilchrist in scenes where Rayward stands and wraps her arms around a sitting Cochran, yet equally adept at physically portraying fear and pain. Their dynamic is ever changing, yet consistent in the two actors’ conviction and ability.
As our tragic hero Blanche DuBois, Stella’s sister, Liv Fancourt is phenomenal. She perfectly embodies Blanche’s deceptive nature, but equally her desire for kindness, warmth, and beautyin a world that will not allow her to flourish. Her role is undeniably difficult, and she plays it with impressive ease, navigating tonal shifts and lengthy stints on stage with admirable professionalism. Between Fancourt and Rayward, the sisterly bond, fraught with tensions surrounding Stella’s relationship with her husband, is performed with gorgeous realism, directed fantastically by Gilchrist who uses proxemics and staging to demonstrate Stanley’s, ultimately successful, attempts to come between the two women.
These central three characters are reinforced by a wildly skilled supporting cast. Cillian Knowles performs with a sensitivity and vulnerability that initially contrasts Cochran’s Stanley, but his eventual mistreatment of Blanche echoes the ever-perpetuating cycle of male violence against women that the play highlights. This is further epitomised in the play’s final scene, where, following Blanche’s removal to a mental institution, the men immediately enter into another round of ‘seven card stud’ as Rayward cries into the arms of Martha Buttle, whose portrayal of Eunice is similarly skilful.
A highlight of the show was the immersion of pianist Tom Paterson and trumpeter Sam Armstrong almost within the audience. The creative team’s decision to incorporate live music as opposed to recorded was excellent, with the musicians’ jazz underpinning scenes both diegetically and non-diegetically, creating an immersively sultry New Orleans soundscape, whilst also reflecting moments of deep tension and distress from Blanche’s past. My only real criticism would be that this underpinning sometimes led to difficulties with volume and projection (though I was sat very close to the musicians, and therefore will have been affected more than others!)
The quality of the production is presupposed by the wonderful publicity materials made by producers Megan Dunlop and Evie Truman, truly foregrounding the professionalism of the overall show. Evocative and sultry, with a clearly mapped narrative that maintains tension and pace throughout, A Streetcar Named Desire was an undeniable hit: one to make Williams proud.
Image: Collingwood Woodplayers Theatre Company