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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Rebecca Williams as Laura, with, behind, Alex Parkinson, left, as Tom, Pamela Meredith as Amanda and Rob Broadhurst as the gentleman caller The Glass MenagerieThe Nonentities
Rose Theatre, Kidderminster
**** SO often it is the case that the theatre
benefits from the hardship and misery of a playwright’s personal life,
to bring into being a powerful piece of drama. The Glass Menagerie is perhaps one such work.
Premiered in 1944 it marked the turning point of Tennessee Williams
career and reflects many of the facets of his own life. The story focuses on the Wingfield family who
live in a small apartment in the busy inner city of St Louis who
throughout the play reflect upon their troubled lives. There’s Tom, the son facing his frustrating job
of a warehouse operator whilst longing to write poetry or for the
movies. Then his sister Laura, socially removed and
suffering from her inferiority complex about her disability which has
left her in an awkward mental state. Finally, the Mother Amanda, the once popular
society belle, abandoned now by her long absent husband and struggling
to secure her family’s future whilst smothering them in the process. Tom played with great spirit and drive by Alex
Parkinson is a son who is juggling his creative muse whilst tolerating
the banality of his job and the responsibility of being left as the
family breadwinner. As the production stumbled a couple of times it
was down to his confidence in the part that kept the play on track. Pamela Meredith played Amanda the forlorn single
mother and she captured beautifully the overbearing awkward relationship
with her son Tom and the desperation to find a suitor for her daughter
Laura. In the early part of the play her daughter Laura
played by Rebecca Williams has little to do with the core of the action. Laura mostly sits contemplating her collection of
glass ornaments but the arrival of her gentleman caller, played by Rob
Broadhurst, brings her more to the fore. The pairing played out some
magically intimate scenes by candle light. They were very convincing as
Laura struggles with her disappointment that her first ever potential
suitor is indeed found to be already engaged and so it will be their
first and last meeting. By any standards the play is not an easy journey
with its bleak unresolved ending and catalogue of troubled memories, but
director Sue Downing has done a fine job of bringing the cast to an
understanding of the complex issues within the play. It also features a first class set designed by
Jen Eglinton and some very creative lighting by Neil Chamberlain all of
which added to a very contemporary feel to an accomplished production of
this timeless 40s period drama. To 14-05-16 Jeff Grant 09-05-16 |
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