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Brilliant American dramatist Tennessee Williams’ A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE sets an impossibly high bar. I don’t think that even the finest professional theatre company could produce a production that would capture all of its nuances, let alone a small, inner city community theatre company.

Still, the Genesian Theatre Company has distinguished itself with a  fine production, tightly co-directed by Tom Massey and Meg Girdler. 

STREETCAR, as it is more commonly known, is set in New Orleans in the late 1940’s, post World War 2. It charts Blance DuBois’ journey. The dreamy, starry eyed Blanche, a  former Southern belle who lived in a mansion, has seen her life go pear shaped, following one disaster after another, and she seeks solace, and a new start in life, by moving  in with her more ‘grounded’ sister Stella who shares a rundown, dilapidated apartment with her husband Stanley.

From the very start there is a massive clash between the gentile, showy Blanche and the coarse, brutish Stanley. Blanche is in  a bind. Without any means, she needs to stay in the claustrophobic, hellish apartment unless she can snare a man.

Georgia Britt delivers an outstanding performance as Blanche. Nervy, impulsive, sympathetic, one moment confident, the next moment totally at sea, Britt is compelling and an actress to watch  out for.

Riley McNamara’s portrayal of the primitive Stanley is impressively understated. It never veers to caricature nor is it overblown.

As is the case with Ali Bendall’s Stella, a kindly woman who wants to be there for her sister.

Matthew Doherty impresses in the role of Harold ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, a good natured man who is tragically caught in the crossfire between Stanley’s wilful, mean spirited determination to undo and reveal Blanche and Blanche’s attempts to find her way out of the quagmire, the morass she has put herself in. 

Rosie Daly and Patrick Gallagher are suitably supportive as Stella and Stanley’s neighbouring couple, who are constantly fighting with each other.

Shaun Loratet plays Pablo Gonzales, one of Stanley’s poker playing friends, as wells as the young collector who collects newspaper subscriptions, with who Blanche unashamedly flirts with

Jenny Jacobs plays a flower seller and the nurse who appears late in the play.

Tom Massey, in a tradition more usual amongst film directors, makes a cameo appearance late in the play as the Doctor.

Massey and Girdley’s creative team evocatively create the dark world that the cast work in. Soham Apte’s very functional, finely detailed set  impressed. The Genesian’s go to costume designer Susan Carveth’s are always apt. Mehran Mortezaei’s  lit the stage well. The Genesian’s go to sound designer Michael Schell came up with an exemplary design.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is in the same league as plays such as  KING LEAR, MEDEA and LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. It is shattering. It blows one’s mind. it breaks one’s heart.

The Genesian Theatre’s production of  A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE   is playing the Genesian Theatre Company, 420 Kent Street in the city, five minutes from Sydney Town Hall until the 7th May, 2023. Performances are  Friday and Saturday nights at 7.30pm and Sunday matinees at 4.30pm. Running time is 3 hours including one twenty minute interval. There will be no performance on the 29th April 2023.

http://www.genesiantheatre.com.au