Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s acclaimed 2023 production of Tennessee Williams’ powerful and iconic portrayal of love, lust and loneliness, A Streetcar Named Desire, is set to visit Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre from Tuesday, November 12 to Thursday, November 14.
Set in New Orleans in the 1940s, Blanche arrives at her sister’s tiny apartment in the lively French Quarter of the city, her world falling apart and haunted by the loss of the family’s luxurious Southern mansion. With broken dreams and a desperate desire to cling on to her freedom, Blanche seeks comfort from her sister, Stella. But as tensions–and passions–rise, Blanche finds herself thrown into a catastrophic confrontation with Stella’s husband Stanley.
Aberdeen Performing Arts Director of Programming and Creative Projects, Ben Torrie, said: “This incredible production has been receiving consistent rave reviews, a testament to the continuing relevance of one of the most important works of the 20th century as well as the skilled storytelling from the hugely talented team at Pitlochry.
“It will be brilliant to see this on stage at HMT.”
Generally regarded as one of the finest plays of the 20th century, A Streetcar Named Desire is also considered by many to be Tennessee Williams’ greatest work. It first premiered on Broadway on December 3 1947, launching the careers of, amongst others, Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy and Kim Hunter.
The London production opened in 1949, directed by Laurence Olivier featuring Vivien Leigh as Blanche. In 1951, the play was adapted for the screen starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh and won four Academy Awards.
Leading A Streetcar Named Desire’s impressive cast will be the acclaimed Scottish actress Kirsty Stuart (Adventures with the Painted People and Faith Healer, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Othello, Frantic Assembly, Call The Midwife, BBC and Shetland, BBC Scotland) as Blanche DuBois; Nalini Chetty(Cyrano, Citizens Theatre/National Theatre of Scotland Zinnie Hassoun in River City, BBC and ITV Drama Six-Four) as Stella Kowalski and Matthew Trevannion (War Horse, National Theatre World Tour, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, West End, Othello, Frantic Assembly and in KAOS, Netflix) as Stanley Kowalski.
The cast is completed by Oliver Cookson (The Secret Garden, Pitlochry Festival Theatre),Deirdre Davis(Eileen Donachie in River City, BBC Scotland and Monarch of The Glen, Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Jesse Fox (Brent Taylor in Hollyoaks, Channel 4); Keith Macpherson (Sunshine on Leith, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Waiting for Godot, Citizens Theatre and Stan and Ollie, BBC Films);Patricia Panther(Peter Pan and Wendy, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Orphans and Glasgow Girls, National Theatre of Scotland) and Marc Small (TV credits include The IT Crowd, Jonathan Creek and the Amazon Prime film The People We Hate At The Wedding with Ben Platt).A Streetcar Named Desire is directed by Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman(Faith Healer, Sunshine on Leith and Adventures with the Painted People, Pitlochry Festival Theatre); designed by Emily James, lighting by Jeanine Byrne with music composed and sound designed by Pippa Murphy.
Director Elizabeth Newman said: “We are absolutely thrilled to revive A Streetcar Named Desire and take this production to His Majesty’s Theatre. This collaboration represents a wonderful opportunity to share Tennessee Williams' masterpiece with a wider audience across Scotland. The timeless themes and powerful story of A Streetcar Named Desire continue to resonate deeply, and we are excited to bring this compelling drama to life in new and dynamic ways. Our team is passionate about creating an unforgettable theatrical experience, and we can't wait to see how audiences in Aberdeen will respond to Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s revival.”
The production is presented by special arrangement with the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.
Tickets are on sale now, and are available from www.aberdeenperformingarts.com, phone (01224) 641122 or visit the box office at the Music Hall or His Majesty’s Theatre.