The Glass Menagerie (West End) London Reviews and Tickets

75%

(7 Reviews)

Positive

71%

Mixed

29%

Negative

Members say

Disappointing, Great acting, Slow, Absorbing, Confusing

About the Show

Oscar nominee Amy Adams stars in a new production of Tennessee Williams' memory play.

The narrator, Tom Wingfield, recalls a story from the summer during the late 1930s. During austere times for the people of St Louis, Amanda Wingfield is resolute that her children will experience a better life than her own.

The landmark memory play written by acclaimed 20th century American playwright, Tennessee Williams that launched his career. Williams' other notable works include 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'Cat On a Hot Tin Roof'.

Academy Award nominee Amy Adams ('American Hustle', 'Enchanted') makes her West End debut in the role of Amanda Wingfield.

Member Reviews (7)

Enchanting

See it if you love Amy Adams or the play.

Don't see it if you don't like plays in general. Read more

Impersonal, Poor scenic design, Miscast, Slow

See it if you like T Williams and A Adams. But, be forewarned: Adams can’t carry the title role; other cast members not much better. Sets don’t help.

Don't see it if you don’t mind an amature approach to one of TW’s finer plays. No delicacy. No heart.

Blasé, blasé, blase

See it if There is so much in this great play to mine and to explore about human frailty and shortcomings — but not in this production

Don't see it if Go on Youtube and check out the Joanne Woodward, Joh Malkovich, Karen Allen production instead. Read more

Disappointing, Confusing, Banal

See it if you are Amy Adams fan, or like a play with some sort of (superficial) movie quality (with some touch of original scores and mixed media)

Don't see it if you do not like the backdrop screen seemingly playing some irrelevant clips, or the story was divided evenly among mother, daughter & son

During previews

Disappointing

See it if you've never seen a film/stage version of it, are a massive Amy Adams fan, or have reasonably priced tickets and just want to see an ok play

Don't see it if you have a favourite version of "Menagerie" (film or stage production) and don't want to see another one that surely won't be as good. Read more

During previews

Intense, Slow, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you like slow-burning, intense family dramas or if you are a big Amy Adams fan.

Don't see it if you are sensitive to outdated depictions of ableism or prefer more dynamic shows.

During previews

Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You want to see an immediately classic take on a classic work with across-the-board stellar talent on display. Adams is magnificent.

Don't see it if You don’t like deliberate, elusive, open-ended theatre.

Critic Reviews (11)

It’s a humane and even beautiful take on a classic play. But ‘The Glass Menagerie’ is one of the greatest plays ever written, and this production lacks its full, devastating potential.
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I loved [Amy Adams'] performance. It’s clear, simple, believable, and quietly heart-breaking. Hats off to Adams for taking a leap in the dark for the summer season. Still, it’s not quite the stuff of fairy tales.
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I can see Herrin’s production working in a small, studio setting, where the younger actors would shine. But as a West End star vehicle, it barely passes its MOT.
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Adams’s West End debut is solid but unremarkable. Under the direction of Jeremy Herrin, the first half feels flat-footed. One of the biggest problems is the size of the stage, which looks vast and works against the intimacy of this story.
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The casting of the Hollywood luminary Amy Adams .... may be the main selling point. Whether the gambit works is another matter. The details are stylishly assembled but they fail to carry the evening.
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Herrin is keen not to turn memory into something beautiful and elegiac, but restrained and uncomfortable instead. Sometimes it just feels off-pitch, aiming for a high note it doesn’t quite reach.
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The actors are left rather stranded by [the] bare-bones approach. It’s a set-up that might work better in a more intimate venue, but isn’t terribly well suited to a West End house.
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The Glass Menagerie is typically funny as well as tragic, but this production is light on laughter. That’s mostly down to Adams, who delivers a likeable but underpowered performance. This staging lacks the vigour to fully hit home.
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