Streetcar is a modern take but keeps to original script

A bold new production of A Streetcar Named Desire tackles the play's complex themes through a modern lens. But Melbourne Theatre Company's captivating and unique take on the classic play does so without making any changes to the original story. Acclaimed actor Nikki Shiels stars as Blanche DuBois, a faded Southern belle forced to move in with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley in sweltering 1940s New Orleans. Taking on one of the most well-known roles of the 20th century was a complicated yet wonderful process that required enormous technical skill and humour, Ms Sheils said. She told AAP the entire production was a magical theatrical experience. "It's about the complexity of human longing and human connection, the light and shade that that brings up," she said on Friday. "It's about violence, it's about love, it's about desire and there's no real easy or simple way to examine these themes without it being messy." Everyone involved with the production is aware they have enormous shoes to fill but relished the challenge presented by Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning work, which was first performed on Broadway in 1947. The play's status was further boosted by the iconic 1951 film starring Vivien Leigh as Blanche and Marlon Brando as Stanley. "You kind of have to forget the shoes," Mark Leonard Winter, who plays Stanley, said. "You have to look at it from the period of time now and that changes a lot of the nuances of the play, the undercurrents." Director Anne-Louise Sarks described it as a big, bold and exciting production with post-war themes that still resonate with modern audiences, including shifting the status quo, identity, sexuality and gender roles. The play does not shy away from domestic violence and the artistic director is conscious of conversations playing out about violence against women in Australia in 2024. "The violence that's perpetrated against women is off-stage, so you don't actually ever see that violence, and that was really important to me," said Ms Sarks, who's also artistic director of the theatre company. "But you feel the effect of it and you feel the kind of intensity, tension and the friction in the scenes, we try to show you the aftermath." The double-storey rotating set is unique to this particular production and was designed to offer a glimpse into the lives of characters who aren't always at the centre of the play, Ms Sarks said. "Tennessee Williams is really bold and theatrical, it's not naturalism, there's so much more alive in that writing and I wanted to celebrate that with the design," she said. Michelle Lim Davidson, who plays Stella, described it as a rare opportunity for audiences to see proper theatre on a larger scale. "We don't get to see big beasts of plays like this anymore," Ms Davidson said. "Sometimes classics I think don't have much relevance to an audience today but this feels very relevant. "It's sad, but hopefully art can give people a different insight and a different understanding, especially to women who find themselves in these situations." A Streetcar Named Desire opened at the Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse on July 9 and runs until August 17. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14