In a dingy, compact apartment in swing-era St Louis, Missouri, a young man introduces himself as our narrator of this – his memory play. His is a modest dwelling – the chairs do not match, the floorboards are worn. There’s a faint whiff of desperation.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams premiered in Chicago in 1944. With strong autobiographical elements and characters drawn from his upbringing, Williams coined the term “memory play” – an expression that would go on to describe the genre.

From the first, we are spellbound by Tom Wingfield (Laurence Boxhall), who describes his reminiscences as dimly lit, sentimental and not realistic. We are on our guard for false memories.

We learn Tom shares his miserable abode with his overbearing, histrionic mother Amanda (Ksenja Logos), his fragile sister Laura (Kathryn “Kitty” Adams), and the powerful memory of an absent father.

Ksenja Logos and Laurence Boxhall in The Glass Menagerie. Photo © Matt Byrne

Director Shannon Rush boldly helms this outstanding production. Staying true to the script, Rush eschews thoughts of modernisation, instead applying a keen attention...