Tennessee Williams’s remarkable play is exceptional for the clarity and effectiveness of the writing and the convincingness of his characters. Based on his own young life experiences, he draws on the uncaring coldness of his father and the tragedy of a sister whose diagnosis of mental illness led to a botched operation and a lifetime in care.
The setting of the play in New Orleans allows him to dwell on the difference in values and social mores between a generation of established middle class Americans and a community of post-WW2 immigrants from Poland and elsewhere. The establishment group is represented by Blanche DuBois, who is homeless and has been obliged to leave Laurel in Mississippi where women are treated with elaborate courtesy to find herself in a town where women are expected to be compliant and accept domestic and personal repression, which regularly leads to domestic violence. This experience is counterbalanced by a sex life which binds the couples together and is accepted by Blanche’s sister Stella and her neighbours.
Stella’s husband, Stanley Kowalski, is unthrilled when an opinionated sister-in-law turns up unexpectedly and expects to move in. Blanche refers to him in his hearing as "common", "like an animal", "ape like", so battle lines are drawn, particularly since Stanley has already tried to find out what happened to the money from the sale of Belle Reve, the conspicuous family home, and has made it clear that under the Napoleonic Code, any money going to the wife would belong to the husband.
But there is much more to this play than a quarrel about money or an unwanted stay, and this arises from the complex psychological characteristics of the main characters. While Stella is straightforward, kindly and understanding, Blanche clearly has mental problems, a weak grip on reality, is a fantasist and a compulsive liar, because she has so much to cover up. She can also carelessly cause damage to relationships by thoughtless or cruel comments, which, in the case of the young boy who was her husband, proved fatal. It transpires that she is unable to tell the truth.
In contrast, Stanley, who is cold, brutal and cruel, constantly undermines Blanche’s attempts at cover up and tracks down individuals who can explain why she was obliged to resign her job as a teacher, why she had such a poor reputation in the town and why she fled to her sister with a trunk full of clothes and no money in her purse. Stanley tells the truth, but he is remorseless in doing so and finally destroys her.
There are other interesting characters in the play. Mitch is completely believable: his concern for his dying mother; his embarrassment about heavy sweating; his recognition that Blanche is as needy as he is. A modest but important performance from Tayla Kovacevic-Ebongin.
The cast rise splendidly to the challenge of this play. As Blanche, Joanna Vanderham exploits the wide range of emotions involved and reinforces this with frequent and significant costume changes, which provide a visual equivalent of the character’s desperation. Blanche spends so much time in the bath, not so much to cool down as to wash herself back to purity again. Jake Dunn is outstanding as Stanley, physically strong and threatening, dominating the space with arms and legs that own it. He is frightening when he asserts himself, whether rushing into a room to throw a radio through a window, clearing dishes from the table with a sweep of the arm or balancing on the edge of the bath like an angel of death.
Amara Okereke as Stella provides a strength and normality throughout, which is an essential contrast to the self-obsession of the two main characters. Her huge emotional outburst when Blanche is taken away is powerful acting. "She sobs with inhuman abandon", says the stage direction. Okereke achieves this and provides a fitting ending to the play. There are important contributions from Bridget Amofah as Eunice and Lia Burge in a variety of roles. The poker-playing men add to the realism of the scene.
The production by Josh Seymour is impressive and interprets the text interestingly. Excellent work from the whole production team. This is a production that is important to see because its effectiveness arises from inspirational writing by Tennessee Williams. Reading the text would be worthwhile.