Review of Cherry Jones in the Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
Duke Of York's Theatre
10 February 2017
5 Stars
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Like many, I studied Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie when I was at schoolhouse over thirty years ago. I loved the play only it took until tonight for me to actually see a production and what a production it was.
Perhaps more than semi-autobiographical, this is an exquisitely detailed memory play, simply are memories fact, or simply a version of the truth that brings us comfort. Written from the viewpoint of narrator Tom Wingfield, this is a play inhabited by some of the most beautifully drawn characters. Amanda Wingfield, faded Southern Belle, abandoned by her husband, she at present spends her time ensuring the happiness of her children. She is devoted but there is a panic virtually her that her daughter will be left totally sick-equipped to deal with life when she is gone. Laura Wingfield, who is socially bad-mannered and has a slight limp from a childhood case of Plurosis, her simply joy a collection of sometime Victrola recordings and a collection of glass animals (here represented by a solitary Unicorn), Tom Wingfield, the brother and son who is slowly being smothered and burdened by his female parent. Longing to write, he is consigned to working in a warehouse, but his nightly excursions to the "movies" hint at more and Jim O'Connor, a work colleague of Tom'due south and former loftier school infatuation of Laura. For Jim, the years following High Schoolhouse have been less than kind.
Ruby Jones makes for a glorious Amanda. Programme notes mention that she was hesitant to play the role, but thank goodness she did. She inhabits the role of faded matriarch so beautifully. She dominates and her transition to Southern hostess for the arrival of the gentleman caller and her domination of chat with Jim is something to behold, fearing what he might say if he is immune to speak. Reading the text oh so many years ago I could not take envisaged a better Amanda. She is no victim, she is determined, a strength of nature and a grafter. Zippo is as easy as it could have been just she gets on with information technology.
Michael Esper as Tom makes for a wonderful Narrator, you are fully aware that things may not have been exactly as portrayed and that in that location is no doubt at times that Tom is made to appear faultless, he is perhaps at his most existent when recounting his nightly trips to his sister, and at that place is a cursory moment that hints at his allure to men in a pocket-size scene on the balcony with Jim. The body language of the two is and then subtle but leaves piffling uncertainty that something here is not right just memory is skilful for glossing over such things.
Equally Laura, Kate O'Flynn is isolated, fragile and bad-mannered. Her presence, voice communication patterns and physicality leave yous with little doubt that her time to come is grim. Only coming to life for a brief moment in the presence of Jim, she is quick to revert to her inferior, awkward state. The moments after a life changing kiss bear witness her equally if stabbed by the horn of her glass unicorn – silent devastation.
Brian J Smith plays admirer caller Jim. He borders on flatulent just seems too fraught with hidden hurting. Subtle hints are provided through his self-improvement mantra that peradventure his public facade masks unhappiness. His scene with Laura is beautifully played, engaging, coaxing and notwithstanding with a terminal devastating accident.
Each of these characters is beautifully woven into this St Louis family tapestry. Rich, vibrant, lamentable, it never falters, information technology's compelling, haunting and sad. Bob Crowley has this family unit floating in a memory bubble, a blackness void where characters appear magically but living in a infinite where their every action is reflected in a moat of black reflective oil-like sludge. The 2 rooms of being for this family has a sepia, antiquarian tint to it thanks to Natasha Katz's wonderful lighting. The simply moments of colour and light come from the glass unicorn catching the low-cal and the low-cal from the dance hall overlooked from the minor landing.
Managing director John Tiffany and Movement Director Steven Hoggett employ the text and the actor's physicality to requite this production an ethereal quality. Elegant, simple and cute, it is a joy to behold and is still haunting me.
The two hours course of this play went by every bit fleetingly as a memory and I left the theatre, remembering just how much I loved this play and thinking how lucky I was to have seen such an outstanding production of it. I'm sitting writing this review having already decided that a 2nd and possibly a third visit is definitely in guild.
BOOK At present FOR THE Glass MENAGERIE AT THE DUKE OF YORK'South THEATRE
Source: https://britishtheatre.com/review-the-glass-menagerie-duke-of-yorks-theatre/
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