Tennessee Williams is considered to be one of the most famous playwrights of the 20th century. A Streetcar Named Desire is arguably his most famous with that iconic “Stella” scream. Have I seen it? No. Nor have I seen Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or The Glass Menagerie. That is, until now! And thanks to the Melbourne Theatre Company, I can finally tick off a Williams play from the list with their 2026 production of The Glass Menagerie.
Directed by Mark Williams, The Glass Menagerie is a play that originally premiered in Chicago back in 1944. The premise is mostly autobiographical told through the format of a memory play with the main character Tom Wingfield (Tim Draxl) also doubling as the narrator. It tells the story of Tom, his mother Amanda (Alison Whyte) and sister Laura (Millie Donaldson).
Set in their tiny apartment, Amanda is trying to keep her family in order. After her husband walked out on them, she’s fighting against her son who wants to be anywhere but home, and against her disabled daughter who has a brace on her left leg and seems to have no ambitions in life. Her only passion is her collection of glass animals that the family refer to as her ‘glass menagerie’. However, in an effort to set Laura up for her future, Amanda and Tom arrange for one of his colleagues from the local warehouse to come to the apartment. A gentleman caller! Jim O’Connor (Harry McGee) comes to dinner, and everything appears to be going well. However, when the power goes out, a twist involving O’Connor blows the plans apart.
The Glass Menagerie isn’t a very enjoyable story, with each of the characters being deeply flawed. However, I still found myself hanging on every line. Whilst frustrating, the writing is incredible and gives the audience a look into what life was like for Tennessee Williams.
Alison Whyte as Amanda Wingfield is wonderful as the overbearing mother who is doing her absolute best under dire financial stress. You can feel the mixture love and frustration in her tone as she talks and yells at both her children. Amanda also loves a story, talking of how she had so many gentlemen callers when she was young. Whyte brings out the nostalgic tone wonderfully, bringing a slight humour to an otherwise depressing book.
Millie Donaldson in her professional theatrical debut is perfectly cast as Laura. With Donaldson being a proud disabled and neurodivergent performer, there is a clear personal relationship with the character of Laura that resonates in her performance. Donaldson brings a sweet and calm innocence to the play that leaves you feeling empathy for the character. Laura doesn’t feel like she fits in and lives in her own world. And with the pressures from her mother, she finds calm in her glass collection.
Harry McGee as the gentlemen caller is great. Jim O’Connor appears to be a nice person, but after a few minutes of conversation with him, he’s not a likeable character at all and McGee’s delivery is superb. I found myself torn between the positive and kind nature McGee brought to the conversation with Donaldson’s Laura. But when you really listened to the words, the character is actually quite horrible, a kind of smiling assassin. A fantastic performance from Harry McGee.
Tim Draxl as Tom Wingfield and the tale’s narrator is extraordinary. Appearing at the top of the play, all buff in his white singlet and ‘smoking’, Draxl commands your attention as he delivers the opening monologue. Draxl has a unique role in this play and switches between the two versions of Tom wonderfully. From the frustrated provider of the household that escapes nightly to ‘go to the movies’ to the narrator that lingers in the wings attentively watching as his family converse, there is never any confusion as to which version of Tom that Draxl is portraying. Tom is as deeply flawed as the rest of the characters, but he is also an angry one and watching on Draxl‘s Tom got angrier was quite the sight to see.
Production wise, The Glass Menagerie is impressive. The set design from Kat Chan is wonderful, showcasing the tight living conditions of the small apartment, but also creating very clear spaces to break up the scenes. Matilda Woodroofe’s costume design is equally as good, dressing each of the cast perfectly that suited each of the characters, particularly Laura’s blue themed outfits.
Whilst this is a play, there is still some music and Marco Cher brings the sound design and compositions to life. The addition of these soundscapes heightens the emotions and development of each of the characters seamlessly. Plus, with the small space of the apartment, Paul Lim’s lighting design brings each of the areas into focus as required. There is clever shadow play that uses the large fire escape on the side of the apartment as a way to change scenes. And of course, when the power goes out, the lack of lighting really draws the audience in, forcing us to focus on the conversation and not what we can actually see.
Overall, The Glass Menagerie is a play that leaves you with mixed feelings. The characters are horrible, left me frustrated and angry. But I appreciated the art of Tennessee Williams’ writing. The Glass Menagerie is proof that something can be great and terrible at the same time. It challenges your emotions, and leaves you both empathetic and angry towards each of the characters. If there is one play you see this season, make it Melbourne Theatre Company’s The Glass Menagerie.
Melbourne Theatre Company‘s The Glass Menagerie is currently playing at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner until the 5th of June. The show then heads to The Play House, Geelong Arts Centre from June 11th to 13th.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/whats-on/season-2026/the-glass-menagerie
https://geelongartscentre.org.au/whats-on/all-events/the-glass-menagerie
https://www.instagram.com/melbtheatreco
Photography by Pia Johnson.
