The People’s Theatre has been on my wishlist since I moved back to Newcastle. I’ve been driven past it a ton of times (public transport enthusiast though I am, I admit the easiest way to get there is to drive), and it is a striking building, one I’ve always been keen to visit. So when I was invited to review its latest production, A Streetcar Named Desire, and managed to time that to the same night my friend and her niece were going – hence I could blag a lift – well, how could I say no?

All I can say it: I am very glad I didn’t. Attractive as it is from the outside, inside the theatre is simply gorgeous. A spacious, shabby chic and eclectically furnished bar with a great ambience means it’s worth getting there early enough to have a drink before the show (though note, I think the bar only opens an hour before the performance – it was closed when we arrived slightly earlier than that last night). The drinks are also very reasonably priced. The show was in the main auditorium, which is a decent sized space that seats around 500 (there is a studio space also), and which is as comfortable and well laid out as many professional theatres (a lot better than many, if I am honest…)

So, the show itself? On the whole, I was impressed with it – it was a very solid amateur production of a tricky to stage play that even some professional companies can mangle. For a start, it looked anything but amateur – luxe design that wouldn’t look out of place on a West End stage was complemented with some clever touches, with lighting and shadow play used to good effect. An able cast used the space and inhabited the story well, despite not always overcoming the challenges of the accents.

Like many amateur productions, it was slightly hampered by an over-adherence to the material – a bolder hand and a tighter edit might have made for a more dynamic show (the first half, in particular, felt overlong) and it never quite caught the simmering heat and latent danger that the best versions of the play bring to life. But, that said, I’ve seen high budget professional versions that have fallen far shorter.

Seeing any short-run, amateur staging means a slight adjustment of your expectations: they simply don’t have the time or budget that main theatres can bring to big shows. But in its own space, The People’s Theatre is hugely impressive – this was a glossy looking, adeptly performed production of a classic that made me keen to come back for more.

(Please note that for non-professional productions, I generally don’t single out individual actors for comment – good or bad – in my reviews).

Credits and listing, as supplied by the theatre:

Blanche DuBois: Sarah Scott

Stella Kowalski: Kay Edmundson

Stanley Kowalski: Steven Arran

Harold ‘Mitch’ Mitchell: Sam Burrell

Eunice Hubbell: Alison Carr

Steve Hubbell: Jonathan Goodman

Eunice’s Friend + Nurse: Alex Burns

Flower Seller: Catalina Gallego Anex

Pablo Gonzales: Udayvir Gurjar

A Young Collector: Lukas Cordes

Doctor: William Moffat

 Directors: Kaila Moyers and Jonathan Goodman

LISTINGS INFORMATION

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Date:  Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 October 2023

Time: 7.30pm

Tickets: £16 (Conc. £13.50)

Venue: People’s Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF

Box Office: 0191 265 5020                    

Website: www.peoplestheatre.co.uk