The Glass Menagerie

Anastasia Hille stars as Amanda Wingfield and George MacKay as her son Tom in BBC Radio 3's landmark production of Tennessee Williams' masterpiece

Tennessee Williams's iconic play tells the story of a family trapped in their own unhappy situation and the shattering of their quiet existence when is stranger is brought home.

Tom shares the cramped and claustrophobic tenement home with his over-bearing mother, Amanda and painfully shy sister, Laura. He works in a warehouse but dreams of becoming a poet, escaping his mundane life. Laura hides at home lacking the confidence to engage meaningfully with the outside world, preferring instead to lose herself in her collection of fragile glass animals. Amanda sells magazine subscriptions over the phone and commits herself to finding a match for her daughter. One day, Tom succumbs to his mother's pressure and brings home a gentleman caller...

Creating a dream-like atmosphere, The Glass Menagerie has remained one of Williams' most touching, tender and painful works.

Tennessee Williams's drama is one of the most loved and well-known stage plays of the 20th century. It won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award in 1945 and paved the way for Williams to become one of America's most highly regarded playwrights.

The Glass Menagerie is introduced by John Lahr, author of the acclaimed biography Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh.

Cast:
Amanda . . . . . Anastasia Hille
Tom . . . . . George MacKay
Laura . . . . . Patsy Ferran
Jim . . . . . Sope Dirisu
Directed and produced by Sasha Yevtushenko

Sound design by Peter Ringrose and Caleb Knightley.
Production co-ordinator: Mabel Wright

Music for violin arranged and performed by Bogdan Vacarescu