Review: Glengarry Glen Ross

Thursday, 10 July, 2014

Review by SAMSARA DUNSTON

REVIEW: GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS

The atmosphere of the audience as they entered the theatre for this preview was one of restrained anticipation.  Glengarry Glen Ross is considered to be David Mamet’s greatest play.  There was a sense of excitement to see how the Melbourne Theatre Company would present it in their sumptuous Sumner Theatre.

Just before the curtain went up Alkinos Tsilimidos (director) announced that the actor originally cast as Shelly Levene had fallen ill and needed to be replaced four days ago.  A tangible murmur of dismay rippled through the auditorium as the scope of this tragedy was realised, with Levene being the main protagonist.  We were advised that John McTernan was now playing the role, but would be performing with script in hand.  The compassion and support from the audience was demonstrated by the voluminous applause as the curtain rose and McTernan stood there alone with his script in acknowledgement of the situation.  Everyone was in the mood to enjoy the production and support their valiant efforts.  Unfortunately this was not rewarded.

Glengarry Glen Ross is a study in workplace bullying, the ramifications of intense competition, and desperation.  Levene (McTernan)is an aging real estate salesman who is being ‘outsold’ by the very men he trained.  A sales competition has been set up to reward the best and sack the worst.  This sets the scene for backstabbing, bribery, and a dog eat dog world where survival of the fittest is the name of the game and there are no rules.

Mamet crafts the play with a mastery which is breathtaking.  Each scene builds on the one before, and there is no respite to the tension until the explosion of the denouement.  Unfortunately Tsilimidos’s production does not achieve this tension. 

Tsilimidos has a background in film direction.  He has emerged as a theatre director through the MTC with the previous productions Red and The Mountaintop. The Moutaintop and Glengarry Glen Ross suffer from the same flaws, although the intimacy of the Fairfax Studio allowed the audience to overlook them in the former production.  Tsilimidos seems to prefer symmetry in design, and uses the stage as a frame rather than an interactive space for the performers.  Whilst the set was lush and detailed as we have come to expect from designer Shaun Gurton, the neatness worked against the chaos Mamet creates as worlds fall apart.  Nigel Levings (lighting designer) makes a brave attempt to enliven the space, but again, this just becomes framing.

Alex Dimitriades (Roma) and Brett Cousins (Lingk) provide the only source of life in this sea of dullness.  The rest of the cast lack definition and often seem to not really know why they are there.  I will say that McTernan delivered his lines with great passion and understanding, and if he can achieve this in only four days, it bodes well for the rest of the season.

Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet Directed by Alkinos Tsilimidos, set by Shaun Gurton, costumes by Jill Johanson, lighting by Nigel Levings, sound and composition by Tristan Meredith.  With Rodney Afif, Nick Barkla, Justin Stewart Cotta, Brett Cousins, Alex Dimitriades, and John McTernan.  Melbourne Theatre Company, Sumner Theatre, until 9 August.