★ ★ ★
Improvisation is a medium which is so often confined to comedy, possibly because it’s easier to come up with quick jokes based on anything rather than a coherent plot, however The Glass Imaginary succeeds marvellously.
Taking the theme of Tennessee Williams’ plays was gutsy, but all five actors demonstrated amazing and nuanced understanding of his style and genre, to the extent that at times I found myself questioning if this was truly improvised, as some of the mannerisms and dialogue were so accurate.
I was lucky enough to watch a relaxed performance of the show, meaning we were encouraged to move around if we wished, and I really really encourage other shows to explore this option.
Their ability to create a truly compelling plot with no communication out of character was wonderful to watch. I am still in awe at the quality of the plot concocted, with some laugh-out-loud moments, and moments of sincere drama. I was particularly happy to see the cast open to exploring LGBTQ+ subtext – this does remain subtext but in some ways that’s even more accurate to Williams.
The characters felt fully fleshed out from the get go, helped in part by the southern accents. To add to this feeling of southern summertime malaise, which is typical to Williams, the scenes often were at a very leisurely pace. Though this was a great imitation, although I would have liked to have seen a bit more drive and a bit more story unfold than what we got. There was just slightly too much waiting.
Overall, The Glass Imaginary is an interesting and challenging concept, executed incredibly well. The show could have been really pushed to the next level with some bold decision making. Nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and if you like Tenessee Williams, or are intrigued by the concept of improvised drama, this show is definitely worth a watch!
Review by Tom Chandler
The Glass Imaginary Greenside @ Infirmary Street 15:00 (55m) Aug 17-20, 22-27 £12/10 16+
