ED2015 4/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

Confessional by Tennessee Williams (Tramp)

By Lucy Diver | Published on Thursday 27 August 2015

This is Tennessee Williams – but not as you know him. ‘Confessional’ is a rarely performed first draft, and the script is fascinating: moments of classic Williams despair and lyricism, but there are also rough points, sudden shifts. For fans, this is a great chance to see the playwright’s experimental work, and his rough version still outstrips many polished plays. It could be made clearer, perhaps with some staging tweaks, what is internal monologue and what is dialogue. The performances are all solid, but star of the show is Lizzie Stanton as the emotional but caring Leona. Her performance alone makes the piece worth seeing, but there’s so much more: Williams’ first openly gay character, on-stage handjobs, a fatherly bartender.

C cubed, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Lucy Diver]