THEATRE REVIEW: The Glass Menagerie ★★★★

The Glass Menagerie

Warwick Arts Centre

5th February 2015

Bringing a Tennessee Williams classic to life, The Glass Menagerie, were Warwick University Drama Society, whose work I have seen previous in Souvenirs last year, both performed in the Studio space at the Arts Centre. As you walk in, you find three sides of seating, and the heightened stage situated in the middle of the space, where four white blocks are placed downstage. There are also four old fashioned chairs suspended in mid air, with a lightbulb and a collection of glass figurines also suspended in the middle.

I had never heard of the story before coming to watch this production, but instantly decided to purchase a copy once leaving, because it felt extremely relevant to some of the stories still going on in today's world. Angus Imrie, who portrays Tom, really captures this incredibly well thought through character, from the very beginning, as he talks to the audience from a balcony at the very back of the stage.

Antonia Salib and Laura Bennett really astonished me throughout the production, really playing up to their characters, with such raw emotion as the events of the story progressed. The dynamics and chemistry between all three of these talent actors was something that I find really rare in productions these days, but these guys really did do a fantastic job. This was so well produced that I then became worried, as there was still one more character to introduce, Jim O'Connor, portrayed by Gareth Roberts. I had initial thoughts that the arrival of this character would not live up to what the characters and actors had shown throughout the first act, but Gareth really did an amazing performance of this Gentleman Caller O'Connor, who Tom Wingfield works with.

Gareth and Laura's chemistry on stage was so electric, it really brought the audience to silence for a good ten minutes, as we became really engaged and focused on this very innocent girl, and this man who we had only been introduced to moments before, also so that I didn't know whether to feel sorry when Jim kissed Laura, or angry for what revelations were about to come to light afterwards. This left the final few scenes, which really escalated, and felt in the end, as an audience member, that you really knew these characters inside out, and went on a fascinating journey with them all.