Review: THE GLASS MENAGERIE at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is Haunting, Fantastical and Poignant

For me, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, widely known to be Tennessee Williams’ most autobiographical work, epitomises what so many of Williams’ plays do: that hope springs eternal even in the direst of circumstances. We wish and we yearn for the fantasies of each of the characters to come true, even when we already know how the story ends

Nico Scheepers’ production has the same stirring effect on me – despite that I have read, studied and seen this play before, the actors rouse that hope in me and I yearned with all my heart that the outcome would be different – that the Wingfield family would be saved from themselves and from their fate as penned by Williams. But part of the beauty and the poignancy is that they can’t be saved – that the characters are confined to their inevitable written destinies. And this cast of actors have done justice to Williams’ and Scheepers’ rich and gut-wrenching script.

Directed, (re-)translated and designed by Nico Scheepers, the show is performed in both English as THE GLASS MENAGERIE and in Afrikaans as SPEELGOED VAN GLAS. The English version, which I saw, is Nico Scheepers’ new re-translation of his original Afrikaans interpretation.

The play fits beautifully into the zeitgeist in which it has been situated: Cape Town in the 1990s for a lower-class Afrikaans family. Part of the brilliance of the show is how uncomfortable it is to watch.

In the spirit of heightened realism, Williams and Scheepers create a tense yet hazy reality (figuratively and literally with all the fake cigarettes smoked onstage) that resembles a horror movie in that it is deeply difficult to watch and yet one cannot tear one’s eyes away.

Each of the four actors are superb.

Anna-Mart van der Merwe as the histrionic and capricious Amanda is artful in her performance. Van der Merwe’s portrayal is simultaneously stressful, desperately sad and convincingly caring. As the fading matriarch, desperately clinging to her past, Amanda will stop at nothing to ensure her family’s survival. And yet she also brings constant chaos into the household, shaming her children and refusing to treat them as adults. Van der Merwe’s performance is deftly textured and layered.

Tom, played by Ben Albertyn, portrays a resignation so convincing that it instantly exhausts us, even as mere spectators. Albertyn’s physical embodiment of Tom is spot on – from his stooped posture to his dissociative stare, Albertyn crafts a deeply sympathetic Tom who, despite it all, is fiercely devoted to his mother and sister.

Carla Smith’s performance as Laura is magic. I loved seeing the difference between the figuratively (and I suppose literally) stunted Laura, (who, to avoid the mundane, terrifying and pointless nature of real life and her perceived limitations, parks herself in front of the TV all day, escaping into the simple plots of animated movies and TV shows on VHS tapes) and the vibrant, confident, more daring Laura who briefly comes alive as a leading lady later in the show. Also, the nostalgia of watching the actors insert video tapes into an actual working VHS machine is a joy in and of itself.

Speaking of props, I loved the cluttered set – heaps of VHS tapes, glass figurines bordering the stage and cluttering every surface (Laura’s glass menagerie) and the tired, drab furnishings of the Wingfield dining/living room. It all feels claustrophobic and starved of fresh air: it’s just perfect.

For me, the highlight of the production takes place during the enchanting period of Jim O’Connor’s visit – the potential ‘gentleman caller’ who comes over for dinner, played beautifully by the exceptional Mark Elderkin. For this brief period, Jim’s affirming, non-judgemental, embracing and alluring nature brings Laura out of her shell. For the first time in the show she is a woman and not a girl. Smith and Elderkin’s chemistry is exquisite and their Sokkie dance is gorgeous. This section of the play is a dream sequence to me – ethereal. It is the fairytale sandwiched between the harshness of ‘real’ life.  

Elderkin’s Jim is everything he should be – earnest, genuine, charming and endearingly awkward. He is the perfect almost-hero. I am a huge fan of Elderkin and he proves his versatility again with his understated and moving characterisation of Jim.

Ultimately, this production deals with the fine line between what could be and what is and is a heart-rending reminder of the thin line between fantasy and reality, and that sometimes, we are forced mourn the version of our lives that we have only yearned to live.

Scheepers’ THE GLASS MENAGERIE is spellbinding in its hope, its fantasy and its (glass) shattering ending. Don’t miss it.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE runs from 31 July to 7 August 2025 and SPEELGOED VAN GLAS runs from 8 to 16 August 2025 at the Baxter Flipside. Tickets range from R160.00 to R210.00 and are available via at Webtickets.

South Africa Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. JOSEPH (Theatre on the Bay)

38.2% of votes

2. MY FAIR LADY (Artscape Arena)

27.5% of votes

3. THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre)

18.4% of votes

Vote Now!