The Glass Menagerie review | Melbourne Theatre Company

Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie follows the Wingfield family living in a cramped St Louis apartment as Amanda struggles to secure a future for her two adult children, Tom and Laura, while each of them quietly wrestles with duty, escape and personal limitation. A memory play told through Tom’s narration, it moves between present action and recollection as past and emotion blur. In this Melbourne Theatre Company production, director Mark Wilson delivers a reimagined staging with choices that significantly reshape its familiar tone and structure.



Wilson attempts to introduce new perspectives into the production, however his two boldest decisions are less successful than envisioned. The first act, which Wilson refers to as The Wingfields of America in reference to an earlier version of the story, is played as a comedy-drama, with the second act shifting into overt tragedy.



The Glass Menagerie review | Meat Market

First staged in 1944, Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is a classic piece of theatre. Described by Williams as a 'memory play', he draws on his own experiences to tell the story of the Wingfield family, including the restless Tom, his controlling mother Amanda, and his fragile sister Laura. Set in a small apartment in 1930s St. Louis, the play explores the theme of how memories shape our past and our future and the divide between the world as it is and the world as we'd like it.


Under the direction of Nicholas Reynolds and Nadia Sirninger Rankin, the Wingfield household is a haven of familiarity and safety. The way the family moves, stands, and sits on stage conveys a natural ease, as if this is the one place they are truly secure. The heart of The Glass Menagerie lies in the depictions of the emotional struggles these people face. Unfortunately, the performances miss the crucial push and pull that drives the story. Amanda lacks the fierce dominance she needs, Laura’s fragility is muted, and Tom’s inner battle never quite surfaces. Together, this weakens their dynamics, and the heartbreaking and haunting finale loses its effect.