Review: The Glass Menagerie @ Odeon Theatre 28/11/25
State Theatre Company South Australia presented Tennessee Williams’ famous play The Glass Menagerie. Here are our thoughts on the compelling production.
Words Emily Wilson // Image Matt Byrne
The Glass Menagerie @ Odeon Theatre 28/11/25
The play that made Tennessee Williams a star has a lasting power. The Glass Menagerie, which debuted in 1944, centres on the long-suffering Tom Wingfield, his histrionic, former Southern Belle mother Amanda Wingfield (who once, as a young woman, famously received a whopping seventeen gentleman callers on a Sunday afternoon), and his fragile, limping sister Laura Wingfield. Tensions rise as Amanda becomes further obsessed with finding Laura a gentleman caller of her own (an outcome that seems unlikely from the get-go, given that the only thing she appears to have energy for is her collection of glass figurines). It is an aching journey through memory, illusion, clashing values and loss.
Throughout his work, Williams displays a fascination with fading Southern ideals and the women the modern world has left behind. The Glass Menagerie is no different, and is arguably the most personal of his plays. (In 1943, a year before the play premiered, Williams’ own sister Rose, who had a history of mental instability, was subject to a botched lobotomy which left her institutionalised for the rest of her life, a tragedy that he never quite recovered from. Such a context renders the subject matter of the play all the more devastating).
It is hard to breathe new life into such a classic and revered piece of storytelling, and, indeed, the State Theatre’s production of The Glass Menagerie, directed by Shannon Rush, does take a little while to find its footing. It seemed that the players needed a few scenes to properly ease into their iconic roles. Ksenja Logos, though perfectly confident, struck me as slightly odd casting. She appears just a touch too young to carry the gravitas of such a character, and her heavy accent and over-the-top delivery jarred with the rest of the cast. However, she excels at finding the humour in the play and makes the most of these moments when they arise. Kathryn
‘Kitty’ Adams is pitch-perfect as Laura - managing to make herself appear as breakable as glass - and her chemistry with Jono Darby’s Jim O’Connor is sweet and stirring. Laurence Boxhall as Tom carries the play well, with pathos, humility, and a steady sense of direction.
The work of set and costume designer Mark Thompson is particularly outstanding. Every article of clothing feels lived-in. The set is unbelievably impressive; it manages to embody a whole world. The aesthetics of the play display considerable care and attention to detail.
Shannon Rush’s confident direction shines in the second act, as the shattered family further unravels. The production is haunting but not without tenderness - the story, without a doubt, will stay with those who enter The Odeon.
