Young Vic: A Streetcar Named Desire

Charged with relevance in the current political zeitgeist, this (literally) whirling production from director Benedict Andrews puts a new, enticing spin on Tennessee Williams’ modern classic. Filmed at the Young Vic, with their staggering revolving stage, this version recently premiered online as part of the National Theatre's ongoing streaming series. In light of the current situation in America, Andrews has – perhaps unwittingly – given us an exceptionally important treat in a time of uncertainty and anxiety.

Streetcar documents the ill-fated summer visit of Blanche Dubois (Gillian Anderson) to her sister Stella (Vanessa Kirby) at the New Orleans apartment owned by Stella's husband, Stanley Kowalski (Ben Foster). The narrative focuses on Blanche's mental disintegration in what Williams called the ‘New South’; that is, the necessary changes that happened in 1940s New Orleans to replace the outdated, colonial white aristocracy of the ‘Old South’, of which Blanche represents the remnants.