A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams

For nearly sixty years, Marlon Brando's interpretation of Stanley Kowalski has cast a long shadow on how Americans perceive Williams' play. In fact, though Blanche Dubois is clearly the central character, it's often Brando's brooding Stanley that dominates the our memories of the play. So when a company of Australian actors tackle the play, they not only have to prove their qualifications but must return Blanche to her central role.

The Sydney Theatre Company, under the direction of Liv Ullmann, managed both in ways I'd not expected. Cate Blanchett brings much to the role, but it's the small things (like repeatedly putting on and taking off her eyeglasses) that maintain the tension between Blanche's strength and her fragility. The rest of the cast were also very strong, especially Robin McLeavy as Stella and Joel Edgerton as Stanley, who provide the necessary sexual energy that makes it clear why she's with him.

Highly recommend.