A Streetcar Named Desire

  To say that I was very excited to see the Young Vic's production of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' would be an understatement. The play was one of my AS English Literature set texts for coursework about two years ago and I loved it instantly. I'm also a big fan of the 1951 Academy Award winning film adaptation that starred Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando. So, it's another understatement to say that I had very high expectations from this production and it certainly didn't disappoint.

  Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize winning play follows Blanche DuBois (Gillian Anderson), a fading Southern Belle with delusions of grandeur and a lot of emotional baggage. After losing her family's plantation and wealth to death and debt, as well as her young husband, who committed suicide after Blanche discovered his homosexual affair, Blanche relies on her grand exaggerations (often lies), her fraying poise and affairs with young men to protect herself from the harsh reality of her life. Due to her immoral conduct, Blanche is eventually forced to leave her home town of Laurel, Mississippi and she goes to stay with her sister, Stella Kowalski (Vanessa Kirby), and her brutish and abusive husband Stanley Kowalksi (Ben Foster), in their already cramped apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans, a decision that brings about the play's tragic ending.

  Gillian Anderson, who is best known for the American sci-fi horror drama television series, 'The X-Files', was heartbreakingly stunning as Blance DuBois. I laughed and I cried with Blanche as Anderson effortless portrayed the varying moods of a woman whose life is slowly spiralling out of her control. Her performance reminded me a lot of Cate Blanchett's Jasmine in 'Blue Jasmine', a 2013 loose adaptation of 'Streetcar' from Woody Allen and just like Blanchett, Anderson too deserves numerous accolades for her performance. Vanessa Kirby (Great Expectations, 2011) held her own as Blanche's long-suffering sister, Stella, and Ben Foster (Kill Your Darlings) truly shined and chilled as the primal Stanley; he was charming enough for us to see why Stella is so enamoured by him but still terrifying enough to cause Blanche's final breakdown.

  A great show needs a great production team and this is the case for the Young Vic's 'Streetcar'. Magda Willi's set design is brilliant due to it's revolving and open nature; nothing is hidden to the audience and this visually represents how the truth about Blanche's situation cannot stay a secret forever. Jon Clark's lighting design also adds to this, especially through how Blanche gets more and more spotlights as her lies become exposed. The music and sound from Alex Baranowski and Paul Arditti respectively add a modern twist to the story, making Tennessee William's masterpiece even more timeless.

  This production deserves endless amounts of praise but it is nearly half two in the morning and even wannabe theatre critics need sleep sometimes. So, I'll end with this: the Young Vic's 'A Streetcar Named Desire' was incredible and there was a stella-r performance from everyone involved with it (pun intended).

Rating 4/5 ****