Review: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Royal Lyceum Theatre

Performing Tennessee Williams’ colossal masterpiece is a tricky feat, yet the Pitlochry Festival Theatre do it justice during their run in Edinburgh.

Southern Belle Blanche DuBois (Kirsty Stuart) arrives at her sister Stella’s (Nalini Chetty) run-down apartment in New Orleans. Almost immediately Blanche starts butting heads with Stella’s abusive husband Stanley (Matthew Trevannion) initiating a whirlwind of events toying between naturalism and magical realism. The play touches on themes of female ageism, misogyny, beauty standards, queerness and the darker side of the ‘American Dream’.

The entire performance takes place on designer Emily James' large rotating vinyl CD entitled ‘Lovesick Blues’, a strong homage to the New Orleans music scene. The stage is busy and cramped, reflecting Stanley and Stella’s ramshackle living conditions. The piece is well-supported by strong atmospheric lighting (Jeanine Byrne) and gorgeously jazzy sound design (Pippa Murphy).

Kirsty Stuart is phenomenal as Blanche. Despite upholding the majority of the play’s lines including many lengthy monologues, she is consistently captivating throughout. She carefully crafts a Blanche who simultaneously oozes confidence, likeability and extreme vulnerability. She is wonderfully supported by Nalini Chetty’s Stella – both women exhibit strong chemistry onstage, acting as powerful foils to each other.

Matthew Trevannion’s Stanley is appropriately terrifying, making audience members feel uncomfortable as he spouts his manipulative gaslighting and ongoing mansplaining. I could see this Stanley making millions off misogynistic TikTok videos. It’s a small cast of nine, yet everyone holds their own.

Some movement sequences were a tad awkward and occasionally dialogue was a little hard to hear, but overall this rendition was absolutely beautiful. Many audience members (myself included) were in tears at the end. There are uncomfortable scenes including sexual violence, however the production handles them tastefully and effectively.

It is a difficult watch, but an important one.

A Streetcar Named Desire is playing at the Royal Lyceum Theatre until 9 November.

Photo Credit: Fraser Band

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