Southern comfort

With the possible exception of Shakespeare’s plays, few works in the English language carry as much baggage as A Streetcar Named Desire. Its impressive pedigree (including a Pulitzer Prize), epic length, extraordinary characters, demanding roles and iconic status – thanks in part to Elia Kazan’s definitive 1951 film version starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh – make this an ambitious project at the best of times. Add to that the difficult Southern accents and, for any Australian company, this is an almost monumental undertaking. Still, that hasn’t deterred the Queensland Theatre Company – and with a talented director and impressive cast, they almost pull it off.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the story, the play begins with the rather unexpected arrival of Blanche Du Bois (Melinda Butel) at the New Orleans home of her sister Stella (Leeanna Walsman) and her husband Stanley Kowalski (Jason Klarwein). Although the sisters grew up on a grand plantation in Mississippi, times have changes; and Blanche has to break the news that the family estate has been “lost”. Seeing his chance at a healthy inheritance through his wife, Stanley starts doing some digging into what happened in Mississippi – and uncovers rather more than he bargained for.

This production certainly succeeds in capturing the play’s mood, power and intensity. All the crucial scenes are staged with aplomb, with the final scene particularly heart-wrenching. Bruce McKinven’s always-excellent set design captures the working-class New Orleans tenement where the action occurs with style, and Matt Scott’s lighting design is first-class.

Director Jon Halpin ensures that, despite its 3-hours length (not including interval), the pace barely slackens for a minute; and we’re never lost for a new revelation or moment of passion. Of course, that’s also part and parcel of Tennessee Williams’ words; but in the hands of a lesser director, it could have become stodgy. Halpin also wisely chooses to keep the production as fresh as possible. While the shadow of the Brando film obviously hangs heavy over the production, he resists the temptation to mimic it; instead setting his own course through its choppy waters.

The play is of course famous for producing two of the great roles for both women (Blanche Du Bois) and men (Stanley Kowalski) on the stage. Again, the expectations from Kazan’s movie no doubt weigh on the actors; but in this case, they struggle to make them their own. Melinda Butel is perhaps a little too elegant – and arguably a little young – to play the faded Southern belle Blanche; but she displays tremendous talent and determination to make her believable, not just a caricature. Jason Klarwein meanwhile certainly captures Stanley’s intensity, but his concentration on that aspect means he sometimes falls short in exploring some of the character’s less obvious traits. The ever-reliable Hayden Spencer however is terrific as Stanley’s poker buddy Mitch; and Leeanna Walsman turns in a fine performance as Stella.

The accents – particularly the Southern accents – sometimes proved elusive for the actors. It has to be said that they don’t come naturally to Australian actors, so some lapses are understandable. In the case of Klarwein’s Stanley however, he seemed at times to be effecting more of a California accent than the New York one required; although perhaps that was a product of the acoustics in the theatre.

In the end, the QTC’s production isn’t the definitive Streetcar; but then I suspect it was never intended to be. This was always going to be an ambitious undertaking, and despite a few flaws, the overall quality of the play is a tribute to the efforts of all involved. The essence of Tennessee Williams’ work is clearly evident, and that's commendable; even if the production itself isn’t quite a triumph.

David Edwards

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A Streetcar Named Desire

Company: Queensland Theatre Company
Venues: Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane
Dates: March 20 - April 8, 2006