The original memory play opens in The Everyman

A powerful cast comprising both homegrown and internationally recognised talent has taken the stage for a new Leeside production of one of the most celebrated plays of all time.

‘The Glass Menagerie’, by American playwright Tennessee Williams, had it’s opening show at The Everyman last night (Wednesday) and runs until 26 August.

Premiered in Chicago in 1944, ‘The Glass Menagerie’ is considered to be Williams’ most autobiographical work. It also led to Williams’ coining of the phrase “memory play” as the story is told via the recollection of the narrator, Tom, who warns the audience that what he tells them may not be precisely what happened.

‘The Glass Menagerie’ tells the story of Tom, a young man in his early 20s, his mother Amanda, and his older sister Laura who is crippled with shyness and spends most of her time seeing to her collection of little glass animals. Amanda is desperate to find a 'gentleman caller' for her daughter and persuades Tom to invite Jim, an acquaintance of his from work, over for dinner. As the evening wears on, drama of course ensues and Tom leaves home forever after bearing the brunt of his mother’s fury following Laura’s rejection by the apparently engaged Jim.

The production sees award-winning director Emma Jordan return to The Everyman stage following the touring success of ‘The New Electric Ballroom’ by Enda Walsh at The Gate Theatre in Dublin earlier this year.

Natalie Radmall-Quirke will play the role of Amanda in her stage debut at The Everyman. Natalie most recently filmed the role of Serena in the TV series ‘Blackshore’ from the creators of ‘Smother’ which will air in 2024. Further screen credits include ‘Conversations with Friends’ directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Leanne Welham for the BBC and Hulu, and the role of Pica, alongside former Bond girls Denise Richards and Jane Seymour, in José Luis Moreno’s ‘Glow and Darkness’.

Hailing from Cork, Darragh Feehely will play Tom, Williams’ most autobiographical character and the play’s narrator. Recent work includes ‘An Old Song, Half Forgotten’ in the Abbey Theatre; ‘Staging the Treaty’ with German theatre production company ANU; ‘The Flags’ with the Red ‘n’ Blue Theatre Company, for which he received a Waterford News Green Star Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and ‘The Book of Names’ with ANU and Landmark Productions.

Chloe O’Reilly will play the role of fragile Laura. Audiences of The Everyman will recognise her from 2022's ‘Letters of a Country Postman’ and the 2023 Irish national tour of Gina Moxley's ‘Danti-Dan’ by the Livin Dred Theatre Company. Also a Cork native, other theatre credits include ‘STRIKE!’ with Southwark Playhouse London, Roddy Doyle's ‘The Giggler Treatment’ with The Ark, and ‘Guests of the Nation’ with Corcadorca.

Lórcan Strain, fresh from the sell-out success of ‘The Wind that Shakes the Wig’ at the Cork Midsummer Festival, will be hanging up their wig as drag persona Marian Mary VI to play the role of Jim, a "nice, ordinary young man" as Williams described the character. Most recently, Lórcan played Snowball and Benjamin in Louise White’s critically acclaimed ‘Animals’ as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. Lórcan was nominated for best performer at the Dublin Fringe for ‘The Wind that Shakes the Wig’. They also recently played the role of Ned, and understudied Gar Public, in Pat Talbot Productions’ ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come’ at Cork Opera House.

The Everyman’s Artistic Director, Sophie Motley said: “I am beyond thrilled to have 3 talented young actors Darragh Feehely, Chloe O’Reilly and Lórcan Strain, who are key members of our creative community, partner with the inimitable Natalie Radmall-Quirke, whose work I have admired for a number of years.

“To have Emma Jordan at the helm of Tennessee Williams’ astonishing story, with a design team of her key collaborator Ciaran Bagnall, and Cork’s finest sound and costume designers, Peter Power and Valentina Gambardella, means that The Everyman audiences are in for international quality work on our stage this summer!”

‘The Glass Menagerie’ runs until 26 August every day excluding Sundays and Mondays. A post show talk will on 15 August. Tickets from €19. For booking and more information, visit everymancork.com.