The Glass Menagerie by stagewhispers.com.au

By Tennessee Williams. GRADS. Directed by Jane Hille. The Dolphin Theatre, University of Western Australia. October 16-19, 2019

The Glass Menagerie has been presented by GRADS (Graduate Dramatic Society) at the Dolphin, for a very short season.

This American classic is frequently referred to as a ‘dream play’ but is traditionally presented in a very conventional style on a highly realistic set. Director Jane Hille sets this all aside with her highly stylised set and lighting design that has the feeling of clouds, or dream, but also references Tom’s ‘magic scarf’, adding a sense of magic and wonder. Merri Ford’s costume design is of the era, firmly placing us in the late 1940s, but its palette of whites and creams adds to the dreamlike other worldly feel.

Presentation is also unusual, with actors never addressing each other directly, and dialogue usually directed straight out towards the audience. This highly presentational style highlights the disconnect between the characters, and draws attention to the premise that this is a collection of memories, but perhaps disconnects characters from the audience as well.

Danielle Antaki plays Amanda Wingfield well, although her performance, like all of these performances, feels more like a series of monologues than a fully realised performance. Donna O’Brien is a tragically fragile Laura Wingfield, who manages to chart a notable character journey throughout this play. James Ford, a young actor with great potential, plays young Tom Wingfield, with Jake Dennis giving charm to gentleman caller Jim O’Connor. We feel most connected to Andrew Matthews as older Tom, who narrates and observes the action, and whose natural address to the audience is more familiar - allowing us to be drawn somewhat into the larger story.

Perhaps most striking about this production of The Glass Menagerie is that there is literally no glass menagerie. This collection of props is key to the story and is usually a prominent aspect of the show. Its absence poses interesting questions.

An interesting experiment that gives us pause for thought and throws new ideas on a familiar and much-loved text. A good choice for those who really like to think about theatre and style.

Kimberley Shaw