Opened: July 23, 2014
Book by: Tennessee Williams
Original West End Revival Cast: Gillian Anderson, Ben Foster, Vanessa Kirby, Corey Johnson, Clare Burt, Lachele Carl, Branwell Donaghey, Otto Farrant, Nicholas Gecks, Troy Glasgow, Stephanie Jacob & Claire Prempeh
A masterpiece in theater by the late Tennessee Williams, this version of A Streetcar Named Desire gets some updates while Gillian Anderson gives a career-best performance as Blance DuBois.
Southern Blanche visits her sister Stella (Vanessa Kirby) for an extended stay in New York after dealing with some personal troubles. Stella’s gruff husband Stanley Kowalski (Ben Foster) doesn’t believe Blanche’s stories and works to prove her as a liar.
Using a rotating stage, the show feels immersive with the audience sitting around it in a 360-degrees setting. Costumes are made more modern allowing for the story to feel timeless.
Kirby and Foster, along with Corey Johnson as Harold Mitchell, all give incredible and memorable performances. However, Anderson completely sinks into the skin of Blanche that it’s hard to remember focus on anyone else.
Final say: A triumph of talent. ★★★★★