A Streetcar Named Desire - Almeida / Phoenix

[foxa]

I'm at the matinee tomorrow - back row stalls/cheap seats, but wanted to catch Ferran now that she was settled in the role.

[theoracle]

Must say I did really enjoy this. The sound design in that room was excellent and thought Patsy Ferran's Blanche was quite the revelation. She keeps her fragile state very well and doesn't overplay anything. I wasn't sure what Paul would be like or if the press had hyped him up but wow, he's terrific! Genuinely jumped at a few of his shouts and with the drums playing overhead, the dramatic tension really sears through you. I sat on the opposite side of the stage so think I missed a bit of action in the corner above me but I also had Paul taking his shirt off twice, showing off his abs twice in front of me so can't really complain. After 2 rather meh Glass Menagerie's last year, wouldn't mind seeing Rebecca Frecknall tackle another Tennessee Williams classic in the future.

[david]

Following on from her 2018 production of “Summer and Smoke”, Rebecca Frecknall has done it again and delivered another excellent TW play at the Almeida having been at tonight’s show. I was sat in G17 of the stalls and is one of my regular go to seats when at the Almeida. A great view and the thin column in front really didn’t have any effect on my enjoyment of the show.

As soon as Patsy Ferran was announced to be taking over the role of Blanche, I had absolutely no hesitation in booking for this. In all the shows I have seen her in since 2018, she really has been outstanding and tonight was no exception. She brought both enough humour to the role alongside the necessary emotional stuff to keep you engaged and alongside a terrifically menacing performance from Paul Mescal . Their combined stage presence really does make for a really enjoyable evening.

The sound design and music for this show really helped crank up the tension when needed and was another big plus for me.

Rating - 4⭐️

[alessia]

I finally saw this yesterday afternoon, it is very good- the first act is long but I didn't notice, as I was so taken with what was going on. I did not know the play at all nor read anything beforehand so nothing to compare with but I thought both Patsy Ferran and Paul Mescal were great. The latter was truly scary at times and brought back awful memories, he really played a violent/angry man very well but he was excellent also when not shouting and screaming. I really felt that at any point he could flip and make a scene, even when he was calm- and I was always on edge because of it. I have only ever seen him in Aftersun so far, and he was great in that also. The relationship with Stella was believable to me, how she doesn't want to leave him despite everything. Also how him and Blanche relate and behave when together, how he dislikes her and despises her as a potential threat to his wife's devotion and the sexism and ageism of a man who only values women when they are young and attractive.
Patsy Ferran was excellent and the scene in the second act when she's alone with him is so intense. I understood what was going on immediately even if it was not made obvious. I have never seen her in anything else before, sadly missed out on Summer and Smoke. Will definitely follow her career more closely now.
I wish I had a better seat as where I was, quite a few times I was looking at someone's back.
Glad I've started the new year with this one.

[foxa]

I saw this for a second time yesterday afternoon - after attending an early performance before Christmas when Patsy was carrying a book. It has developed and improved so much and there were some significant changes. The rain curtain is used less (very good choice); the staging of the final scene is different (incuding cutting a line) and, of course, the relationships have deepened. In the first viewing, I didn't feel much connection between Stella and Blanche, but now it is there and enjoyed Anjana's performance so much more. The scene alessia mentions between Stanley and Blanche in the second act is much more dynamic and engrossing.

This time, I was sat in the main section of the audience rather than to the side and the view was better. I get the feeling that since the reviews, the demand for tickets has really picked up. The man next to me got a return and said he had arrived at the theatre at about 11.15.There seemed to be a long list of people waiting for returns (but it's not impossible to get them - at the last minute I returned a ticket.)

Received a standing ovation at the end.

I would move my opinion to a solid 4 stars now.

[londonpostie]

plot twist: you can move your opinion to a 4

[londonpostie]

An interview with Frecknall this evening on Front Row, talking about the production and career. Plus fab quote from Richard Eyre >>

First 12-minutes: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001h5zx

[teamyali]

Given the success of the show and Paul Mescal garnerning awards buzz here and his film Aftersun, could a West End transfer be possible this year? I think @sohoplace is a good venue since it’s built in-the-round and a strong follow up after Medea concludes in mid-April.

[londonpostie]

Depends, apparently, on Mescal's film schedule.

[Dave B]

Thanks to emmy's heads up on more tickets, we were there last night. Instead of our usual pillars, we had the further balconies A0 and A1 and damn they were great seats.

Hugely enjoyed it, Feran who was great with book was just fantastic here. Mescal also great. So much less water than the early previews which I think helped a lot. A few more tweaks has really helped, the final scene is a lot stronger and the chorus of everyone talking over it is gone which I really appreciated. Anjana Vasan and Dwane Walcott really both doing strong work. That little closer shows the physicality of the play a bit more too, the early fight and then in particular the slow motion movement towards the end.

I hadn't noticed the first time around, but there is a lot more small and subtle work going on with the actors offstage from the start. When Blanche arrives, Stella is sat in front of Stanley and it's clearly framed as properly patriarchal . They use the height difference between Vasan and Mescal well in the sparks of their relationship but it also puts emphasis here here on the power dynamic.

Question, in the original text or I suppose previous productions, is it made explicitly clear that Blanche's husband was caught with a man? I overheard two conversations on the way out as people were explaining and my better half checked it too. There's the description of events in the first half and it's only in the second half where Blanche recounts calling him a 'degenerate' - are audiences here meant to put 2+2 together or was that always the case?

I would not be surprised to see Feran, Mescal, Vasan and Walcott getting some Olivier love.

A very strong 4 stars.

[couldileaveyou]

Jan 17, 2023 9:16:24 GMT Dave B said:

Question, in the original text or I suppose previous productions, is it made explicitly clear that Blanche's husband was caught with a man? I overheard two conversations on the way out as people were explaining and my better half checked it too. There's the description of events in the first half and it's only in the second half where Blanche recounts calling him a 'degenerate' - are audiences here meant to put 2+2 together or was that always the case?

No, the original text (unlike the movie) is quite explicit:

[thistimetomorrow]

Very excited to see this later this week!

[Dave B]

Jan 17, 2023 9:41:59 GMT couldileaveyou said:

Jan 17, 2023 9:16:24 GMT Dave B said:

Question, in the original text or I suppose previous productions, is it made explicitly clear that Blanche's husband was caught with a man? I overheard two conversations on the way out as people were explaining and my better half checked it too. There's the description of events in the first half and it's only in the second half where Blanche recounts calling him a 'degenerate' - are audiences here meant to put 2+2 together or was that always the case?

No, the original text (unlike the movie) is quite explicit:

Thank you!

[foxa]

There are different editions! The 1984 Methuen edition (sorry I don't know how to attach a photo) has: 'By coming suddenly into a room that I thought was empty - which wasn't empty, but had two people in it....

Then the stage directions: 'A locomotive is heard approaching outside etc.;

Followed by:

'Afterwards we pretended that nothing....'

[couldileaveyou]

Jan 17, 2023 10:42:43 GMT foxa said:

There are different editions! The 1984 Methuen edition (sorry I don't know how to attach a photo) has: 'By coming suddenly into a room that I thought was empty - which wasn't empty, but had two people in it....

Then the stage directions: 'A locomotive is heard approaching outside etc.;

Followed by:

'Afterwards we pretended that nothing....'

This is very interesting! In the original text printed in 1947 the reference to what she saw is definitely there, but apparently the line has been censored in England. This is from The Selected Letters of Tennessee Williams vol 2:

[crowblack]

Jan 13, 2023 15:09:09 GMT Latecomer said:

I am quite sad to miss this…had tickets first Saturday of the year but couldn’t get to London because of train strikes
Not having a lot of luck with the Almeida as had tickets for the last day of Tammy Faye too!
If anyone has a spare ticket Sat 28th, Wed 1st or Sat 4th matinees and would like to chat all things theatre then do let me know and will buy!
I’m not hopeful, but just in case!

I've just returned a ticket for this Saturday (no trains running!), B-25 matinee, if that helps. 

[foxa]

Jan 17, 2023 12:31:59 GMT couldileaveyou said:

Jan 17, 2023 10:42:43 GMT foxa said:

There are different editions! The 1984 Methuen edition (sorry I don't know how to attach a photo) has: 'By coming suddenly into a room that I thought was empty - which wasn't empty, but had two people in it....

Then the stage directions: 'A locomotive is heard approaching outside etc.;

Followed by:

'Afterwards we pretended that nothing....'

This is very interesting! In the original text printed in 1947 the reference to what she saw is definitely there, but apparently the line has been censored in England. This is from The Selected Letters of Tennessee Williams vol 2:

Wow, that is interesting - didn't know any of that. The Lord Chancellor's suggested alteration was terrible - the Olivier production choice was much better. Williams died in 1983, so I assume he agreed Oliver's choice.

Another change to look out for - when I saw the show pre-Christmas the final line was as it is in the Methuen script, but played awkwardly, IMO, given the lack of naturalism. When I saw it on Saturday, the line was cut, and it worked better.

[jm25]

Enjoyed this considerably more the second time round! Familiarity with the text, which I didn’t have the first time round, certainly helped. But having three leads equally matched and in perfect harmony with each other definitely made this click for me.

(Again, not having a pop at the poor understudy who was on when I saw it first! If I’d had to go on and do that with a couple of hours notice I’d have just crawled into a corner 😂)

Revising my rating to four stars!

[zahidf]

Great production. Really well staged and acted, especially Patsy Ferran

[adolphus]

Terrific production. Kudos to all the cast but my, Patsy Ferran! As Steve said earlier, this production has been stripped back to see Blanche's perspective. An intelligent cultured woman undone by the expectations of her society through grief, heartbreak, poverty and eventually scandal, Ferran makes her nevertheless a warrior clinging on for survival, trying anything but still believing in that old social code and art and beauty. Stella has no easy life, but its easier than Blanche's and she refuses to condemn her sister.

I was less keen on the slo-mo scenes (I think these only work on film), and didn't like the harsh drumbeating which wasn't necessary.

But overall this was exceptional

[thistimetomorrow]

Wow this was my first time seeing Streetcar live (I had only seen the streamed Young Vic production before) and I really enjoyed this. The visuals felt very Cabaret-like to me (the bare bones set/in the round/stylised movements) which makes sense given the same director. I thought all 3 leads were fantastic.

[orchidman]

Oh, boy. After managing to open Cabaret with two of the three main parts miscast, Rebecca Frecknall tops herself with a full house.

Admittedly it's hard to cast Stanley given the feminisation of leading men in the past 75 years but still.

It feels like a school play where you put the one pupil who can act in the main role regardless of suitability.

With the lack of chemistry in the cast and the bare staging it could hardly be less atmospheric. Is Frecknall aware this is a play performed properly by Anderson and Kirby in recent memory?

If this mess goes to the West End it is the sort of production which puts casual theatre goers off for years. At least at the Almeida with Mescal's box office appeal it is only playing to theatre devotees and his fans.

[Rory]

This *is* going to transfer at some point, right?

[drmaplewood]

Jan 22, 2023 13:57:08 GMT Rory said:

This *is* going to transfer at some point, right?

Sooner than we might think, if what I've heard is accurate.

[Rory]

Jan 22, 2023 14:57:04 GMT drmaplewood said:

Jan 22, 2023 13:57:08 GMT Rory said:

This *is* going to transfer at some point, right?

Sooner than we might think, if what I've heard is accurate.

I think you might be right