London's Gillian Anderson STREETCAR cinecast

Did anyone else see it? I'd love to have a discussion about it...

Come, come now. I discussion about anything but a dopey musical is fruitless on this site.
Loved Streetcar. Thought the cast was terrific. Loved Anderson's final scene. It was chilling. Most Blanches leave on the arm of the doctor in their finest frocks, her exit was grotesque and disturbing.
Foster was excellent, not over the top or totally despicable. His actions were understandable and his resentment toward Blanche built nicely throughout the production. (Loved the shadowy lighting effect and subtle movements that made Stanley truly look like an ape at one point.)
Stella and Mitch were equally impressive.

The present day setting was no problem at all (Maybe two references to Western Union were a bit jarring), but the play plays. It's one of our great ones, as this production purely and clearly states.

At first I thought the music jarring, but ultimately a lot of the underscoring was quite effective.

I'd see it again in a second. It was probably the best production I've seen of the play.

I saw the live show last week and it was phenomenal so I definitely suggest seeing the cinecast if you can! Gillian's performance I thought was one for the ages. The production was wonderful - except Stella's ridiculous English accent with a twinge of US south every so often was pretty damn awful.

Didn't see the telecast but did see the play live in London. I was sadly underwhelmed by it. For me there seemed to be no atmosphere evoking the deep south. Gillian was good as were most of the cast, Stella maybe not really timid enough. I found the revolving set very distracting at first but stopped noticing after a while really. Overall I didn't think this was a patch on the production at the Donmar in London a few years back.

One of the most powerful productions of STREETCAR. It shook the dust off the play and made me hear lines I forgot were even there.

No surprise the modernization bothered people. But there are plenty of productions that set it in the 1940s. At the very least, if you want that, then go watch the movie.

Andrew's depiction of the violence in these women's lives and the twisted ways in which they stay, knowing there will be more, gave a true sense of danger I rarely feel with this play.

Anderson's performance was astonishing.

Easily the greatest Blanche I've seen (I'm unsure how Cate Blanchette or Rachel Weiss could have been better). The whisper sing-song accent she employed could have been cliched, but it never ever was. It fit the lines written so expertly I wonder if this is from where that specific delivery (later cliche) sprung. It made Blanche so light at times, so little girl. And then so devastating. I completely saw the completely open and giving sweet young girl she once was, the coquette that turned to slut to survive (both emotionally and financially), the madness just beneath the surface, it was all there in that voice (and wonderful physicality). I'm not sure what the modern setting brought to the piece as none of the so-solidly-set 40's dialogue was unchanged (usually when a Shakespeare is modern dress there is a point, was it just so the director could use rock music during scene changes?) but perhaps it allowed Ben Foster to create his own Stanley, again, easily the best I've ever seen. I could see the mean yet hurt little boy underneath. The ape by design (I loved how before he raped her he stood ape-like over her digging at the ruffles of her dress, a little heavy handed reference-wise, but it worked and was scary). I also loved Mitch (but was he from Brooklyn or the Quarter?). I've seen so many wonderful Stella's, this girl came up a little short. The best Stellas are their own people but still obviously Blanche's sister. This girl did not have that.

Updated On: 9/17/14 at 12:36 PM

Also thought some people might like to know - Carey Mulligan was there the night I saw it, and she was the very first person to jump to her feet in a standing ovation at the end. I liked that :)

Might have given a standing ovation then if I was sharing my ovation with Carey Mulligan

Firstly what a great post! A little different from the ususal threads that are created. Also, due to the cinecast a much wider group of people can get involved in the discussion.

I thoroughly enjoyed the production. I thought the modern setting was an interesting twist on a classic. I have obviously been aware of Streetcar and the story, however have never seen a past production or the 50s movie. Therefore, I didn't have many preconcpetions. At first I did mind the music a little abrupt, however during the second act I think it really added to the production. It lent itself well to the intensity and insanity of the piece.

I thought Gillian Anderson's performance was outstanding. She portrayed the vulnerability of Blanche perfectly. I know some have commented on her voice, but for me this wasnt a problem. Being an American herself she was able to slip into the accent flawlessly. Her last line to the Doctor in the final scenen was delivered perfectly.

Vanessa Kirkby pulled off a perfectly fine protrayal of Stella. I thought she protrayed the character a little tougher than I was expecting Stella to be, however in the more modern setting I think she got away with it. However, like other comments above I did have issued with her accent. I think this was even more noticable due to the other leads pulling awful a flawless accent.

The big problem for me was Ben Foster. This is where I wholeheartedly disagree with the comments above. I was not taken with his portrayal of Stanely. I didn't think he was menacing enough, I didn't like is facial expressions and I found the performance a little jerky. I didnt see his emotions building up. I felt he got to the top of his range with no build up.

I loved the setting. The performance in the round and momvement of the entire set was wonderful. The camera movement for the cinecast were a little frustrating, it seemed under rehearsed. However, most likely they didnt have much, if any, rehearsal time this could easily be explained.

All in all a wonderful production with some minor mistakes from certain actors. Well done Young Vic and well done National Theatre Live.

Thanks Wicked--I do hope threads about Live showings will become more common -- if only because I can genuinely contribute and not just give feedback on what I felt from reading a play or seeing a tour much after the fact.

I was curious about how the contemporary setting would strike someone who didn't know the play. I went with a friend who knew the play well, and her boyfriend who didn't. He was in tears at the end because he said it made him think about watching his sister's decent into insanity.

I am on the fence about Foster's performance. I think too much of the time I was just reacting to how differently he read lines I knew so well from Brando. I did think the way they staged (and he acted,) the "Stella" was perfect, and I liked his kinda concerned-but more relieved actions when Blanche was being taken away.

Having only seen the film, and having read the script a long time ago, I was excited to see this acclaimed production thanks to NTLive's screening.

I guess I'm in the minority that wasn't blown away by the production; I don't quite understand why so many superlatives are being heaped upon it. I thought it was solid, solid work, but it seemed a stronger directorial hand may have been needed.

Being both a former southerner and a HUGE X-Files fan, I was initially in awe of Gillain Anderson's character work on Blanche DuBois--and I want to say that, despite some missteps here and there, I thought the dialect work was pretty incredible for the most part--I've met SOOO many women down south that act and sound EXACTLY like Anderson's Blanche, and that was a treat. However, I have a feeling that that the choice to stay within that general vocal and physical wheelhouse limited her portrayal; it became monotonous and grating to me, and in the second half especially I wished there were more colors to help sell me on Blanche's deterioration, heartache, and ultimate breakdown. I wish the director had pushed Anderson further in this regard--they found a great thing, I wanted them to go deeper and mine more out of what they'd found. Anderson is certainly up to the task.

I liked Ben Foster overall, but I don't think he generated the danger and brute force that can make Stanley so compelling. My date commented that "it seems like Stella could take him!" I did appreciate his boyishness and everyman quality--two facets of the character that can be overlooked in search of a more brutish Stanley.

I thought this production belonged to Stella, in a low-key way. I thought Kirby to be a forceful presence, in a tough, mostly reactive role. And I agreed with my date that this was a Stella that would not be afraid to match her husband when push came to shove, and I was more moved by her anguish at the play's end than I was by anything else, to be honest. I do think that she and Foster generated great chemistry.

Mitch is a fantastic role IMO, and Corey Johnson NAILED it (despite sounding like a New Yorker some of the time!). Warmth, vulnerability, and naivete gave way to feelings of betrayal and brute force in a great way.

I don't think the "updating" really added anything to the play, but I don't think it impeded the story or the production either. I saw the screening at AMC on 42nd street, and though it went off without a hitch the LOUD scene transitions were pretty jarring, and I'm not sure they added to the play either.

Those are my two cents.

Our Tuesday showing started at 7. And we were out at 10:10. But, that included a 30 minutes or so interval/intermission which included a behind the scenes look at the Young Vic. The Fathom website says 3 hours (approximate) including one intermission.

Updated On: 9/18/14 at 04:01 PM

Had a feeling. Thanks for the help.