A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
'A deeply passionate and beautiful interpretation. Director, Deborah Edgington, created an intense mood and a powerful authenticity central to the play.' The Hampshire Chronicle
Cast:
Connie Cha (Blanche Dubois) Lee Ruttle (Stanley Kowalski) Charlotte Gatherer (Stella Kowalski) Martin Humphrey (Harold Mitchell - Mitch) Rachel O'Neill (Eunice Hubbel) Peter Andrews (Steve Hubbel) Hannah Matheson (Young Woman/Nurse) Simon Irwin (Pablo/Mexican Seller) Sam Borthwick (Young Collector) Martin Bennett (Doctor) Creatives: Director: Deborah Edgington Designer: Duncan Willson Sound and Lighting design: Tony Rogers Fight Director: Paul Benzing Videographer: Tony Rogers Costumes: Miriam Swanston Props: Lorraine Robinson Accent Coach: Sian Radinger Stage Manager: David Small ASM: Peter Walker |
Chesil Theatre May 2013 "I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic!" Fading southern belle, Blanche Dubois, tries leaving a troubled past behind her to move in with her sister, Stella, in New Orleans. But Stella's brutish husband, Stanley, sees that Blanche is not what she appears to be and sets out to destroy her. A Streetcar Named Desire has always been one of Deborah's favourite plays, so it was not unsurprising that she chose Tennessee Williams' iconic, albeit ambitious play, for her directorial debut in 2013. |
This was the opening video sequence to Deborah's production of A Streetcar Named Desire, depicting Blanche and Stella at their home, Belle Reve, in happier times. The video goes on to show the sisters with their parents who, one by one, disappear from the frame. Deborah wanted to illustrate each family member leaving Belle Reve. The video then cuts to the vibrant city of New Orleans where the sound of the 'blue piano' spills out onto the streets.
As the music fades, the stage lights come up on the opening scene... Eunice and a neighbour taking in the sultry evening air on the steps of the building where Stella and Stanley live; Stanley hollers out to Stella that he and Mitch are going bowling. Meanwhile, Blanche has taken a streetcar named Desire, and then transferred to one called Cemeteries and ridden six blocks to Elysian Fields. She has arrived unexpectedly to stay with her sister...
Videographer and sound designer: Tony Rogers