A Streetcar Named Desire

I finally got to enjoy my birthday present from Rob last night, when we went to see the new Sydney Theatre Company production of Tennessee William's tragedy A Street Named Desire, starring Cate Blanchett. Cate and husband Andrew Upton are the new artistic directors of the STC and this is there first season holding the reins. As well as Streetcar - which was directed by Liv Ullman - there is a new play written by Steven Soderberg coming up, so Cate's got the pulling power alright. Once I'd got over my first 5 minutes of being totally starstruck that it was Cate Blanchett on stage 12 feet from me - nice work on the tickets, Rob - she was utterly convincing and beguiling as the unravelling Blanche Dubois, a southern lady whose past catches up with her in the heat of a New Orleans summer. We're both big fans of Tennessee Williams  and had seen also this play on stage in London about 15 years ago with Jessica Lang in the Blanche Dubois role. Strangely neither of us had any recollection of it when we discussed it last night. I found it amusing that we have tried to fill our lives with interesting experiences and then are unable to recall them in later life.  Early onset dimentia?  If you're interested, here's one of the newspaper reviews of the play.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26035245-15089,00.html