The Scottish Ballet's new production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire just got another fabulous review from London's Evening Standard which called it "florid, poetic, poisonously beautiful" and "everything you could want of Tennessee Williams." Tama Barry, the leading principal dancer who portrays Stanley, is being compared to Marlon Brando, and the Artistic Director Ashley Page's bright idea of attaching a real theater director to the production team is being called a "template for how to tell a story in dance." Hope this company and production are on somebody's radar on this side of the Atlantic.
This photo in the Evening Standard is uncredited, but oh what a picture. Click on it for full size.
Take another look at the trailer on YouTube.
Update:
And yet another glorious review for this production in The Guardian along with applause for Ashley Page's decision to include a real theater director on the production team.
8 responses to “Scottish Ballet’s Streetcar “poisonously beautiful””
Oh, that sure sounds and looks great! The play has great potential for a ballet like this and I’m happy to see that it seems to have been executed well. “A Streetcar Named Desire” is one of the rare plays where not one of the characters is truly likable in my opinion, yet I find the plot and play as a whole highly appealing, the particular kind of energy included.
Oh, that sure sounds and looks great! The play has great potential for a ballet like this and I’m happy to see that it seems to have been executed well. “A Streetcar Named Desire” is one of the rare plays where not one of the characters is truly likable in my opinion, yet I find the plot and play as a whole highly appealing, the particular kind of energy included.
Hi Kallima! Agree. And the whole idea of having a strong theater director for a story ballet is really intriguing. Let us know if you have a chance to see the production. It will probably be a very long time before it gets to New York.
Hi Kallima! Agree. And the whole idea of having a strong theater director for a story ballet is really intriguing. Let us know if you have a chance to see the production. It will probably be a very long time before it gets to New York.
It seems like a good idea to transform the flashbacks into something in chronological order. After all, in ballet and without words it would be hard to make these work unless they appear in a dream. But for this work, that is out of the question. I’d really like to see how it works when the secrets aren’t really secrets anymore and it is more focused on how the emotions and tension evolve. So I will definitely keep my eyes open.
It seems like a good idea to transform the flashbacks into something in chronological order. After all, in ballet and without words it would be hard to make these work unless they appear in a dream. But for this work, that is out of the question. I’d really like to see how it works when the secrets aren’t really secrets anymore and it is more focused on how the emotions and tension evolve. So I will definitely keep my eyes open.
I wonder if this Streetcar was performed without intermission, or if not, where they cut it in half. So anxious to hear the score.
I wonder if this Streetcar was performed without intermission, or if not, where they cut it in half. So anxious to hear the score.