The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here - Charing Cross

The only London production I remember of this play was in 1997 at the Lyric Hammersmith, directed by Philip Prowse, and starring Rupert Everett. I don’t think it’s one of Tennessee William’s best, which is why it’s probably not performed too often, but I think it’s really good to stage something like this for a new generation. And looks a good cast. 

I thought this was genuinely one of the worst things I’ve seen this year. Poor directing, stiff acting, poor diction and accents (could barely hear from near the back - why they decided to keep the theatre in this configuration for this show is beyond me), cheap sparse set and cheap costumes. I couldn’t really rate the actual play because I don’t feel that would be fair after seeing such a poor performance. The theatre was absolutely freezing too.

Saw it on Thursday, as a play it didn’t work, the Character of Christopher who is central to the denouement is peripheral and poorly developed, Charon for elderly rich ladies?!

Not helped by the traverse staging, the actors spent most of the time trying to project to the sides impacting those further from the stage and on the opposite side, strange choice as it would work better with traditional end staging.

Disappointed and can see why it has rarely if ever been staged successfully, one for the completists.

As a general rule don't go to see any Tennessee Williams play written after 1959

Forgive my ignorance, but who is considered the play's leading lady?

Thank you.

It was lovely to see Sara Kestelman on stage again. I saw her years ago as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret and as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof opposite Topol. She was truly wonderful in both.  Also enjoyed her performance in Copenhagen very much.

Unfortunately her presence is not enough to lift this very poor production. I think the actual play is ok although not one of the best Williams. This production however is really amateurish, badly staged with terrible lighting and very poorly acted. Only Kestelman brought some decent acting in her very few scenes, but she's really wasted in this.

Williams' is a mixed bag, but his heights are so high that he is one of those playwrights I feel I must try to complete and this was one of the more famous of his works I hadn't seen yet.

It is one for completists. The writing has its moments but it does drag on until it overstays its welcome and the whole scenario of the outsider coming in to disturb the status quo (typical of Williams) was very strained and lacked credibility. Good to see two venerable actresses in meaty roles, Linda Marlowe had a few struggles with her lines but coped as did Sara Kestelman although the staging and perhaps directing did not help.

The traverse staging was awful. All the actors spent most of their time acting sideways to most of the (modest, about a third-full) audience. It is hard to see what the director thought he was getting from this, yes did help to create different spaces but at what cost? Wasn't sure either about the extra-textual modernising. Why use mobile phones when you are referring in the text to calls being "put through"?

I suspect it may be a while before we see this on a London stage although you never know, great plays are few and far between and revived regularly, average plays by important writers always have a chance of a reimagining or restaging.