Enchanting glass memories

The Glass Menagerie enfolds us in the memories of Tom, a young poet trapped by his dependent family, who both appears in each scene and narrates the play from his present. This is the play that made Tennessee Williams famous and aside from an occasionally dodgy Southern accent (Deborah Findlay as the mother) and a limp that may have hopped from foot to foot (the sister) the Young Vic’s production is flawless. An aura of memory is cleverly crafted by the presence of the two musicians as part of the multi-level set – particularly poignant moments in the play are haunted by the eerie sound from the percussionist’s array of wine glasses (the licking your finger and running it round the rim trick).

Despite any observations about her limp I thought Sinéad Matthews as Tom’s frail sister Laura gave the best performance in the play. I was so convinced I would find it hard to ever imagine her walking straight. It is believed this character was based on William’s own sister and his portrayal is tender and sometimes painful.

The premise of the play is the mother’s obsessive plans to find a “gentleman caller” for Laura so that she can be taken off her brother’s hands, as their father, represented here only by a giant portrait, quit the family many years ago. But Laura’s physical fragility is matched by a crippling shyness, totally opposed to the huge character of her mother, leading her to hide in a world of glass animals.

Matthews makes Laura very likable and we cringe with her in a perfectly pitched final scene when a gentleman caller does indeed arrive. His normality and easy charm provides a sharp contrast with her extreme awkwardness and the strange parallel reality this isolated family lives in. When the family’s electricity is cut off, the stage is lit with real candles, drawing us into their home and lives. I found the moment when Laura and her caller dance especially sweet and memorable. We see her begin to blossom in his presence and the inevitable disappointment when it transpires he has nothing to offer her is crushing and hard to watch.

The mother, a faded Southern Belle indomitable and hilariously flirtatious when her gentleman finally calls, is hugely enjoyable to watch. Her character provides laughs but Findlay also gets across her insensitive, domineering side from which Tom is so desperate to escape.