Suddenly Last Summer (Ensemble Theatre) ★★★★

Written by Tennessee Williams. Ensemble Theatre. 18 May – 10 Jun, 2023.

Tennessee Williams’ hypnotic play, Suddenly Last Summer heats up the autumnal nights at Ensemble Theatre with a stunning new production from director Shaun Rennie and a stellar lead performance by Andrea Demetriades. Compact, precise and haunting; to quote a very different show, “I’ve got chills. They’re multiplying”.

This is 1936 New Orleans. The elderly Mrs. Violet Venable (Belinda Giblin in mesmerising form) tries to coerce a doctor into performing a lobotomy on her niece Catherine (Demetriades) whom she has had placed into an asylum. The doctor (a terrific last-minute turn by Remy Hii) tries to get to the bottom of this tangled, emotionally incestuous family, and in doing so unleashes a shocking secret. 

This is Williams at his most “southern-gothic”. The claustrophobic setting, a jungle-like garden (beautifully realised by Simone Romaniuk’s ephemeral design – diaphanous, foliage printed drapes, and exotic greenery in glass terrariums) is ripe with secrets and questions. A psychologically perverse relationship between a mother and Sebastian, her queer son. A beautiful young woman struggling to cope with a horrific memory. Relatives vying for inherited wealth. This is an entitled southern family who know no boundaries, slamming up against a reality they don’t want to admit. 

The entire play is based around stories and perceptions – the truth is less relevant than the overriding narrative as Violet tries to strike down Catherine for contradicting her version of Sebastian, whose death has driven this family to the brink. Their wealth could only protect them so far. 

The ghost of Sebastian haunts every moment. He is understood only through the eyes of those who knew him but is ever-present in Romaniuk’s use of almost mini coffin-like terrariums on the set (a rich extravagance tightly bound by society). At first he draws our sympathy as an eccentric gay man struggling in a homophobic world, but as his ugly, vain, predatory nature is revealed, a darkness takes over.

It would be easy to create a chamber piece of camp excess with this coterie of characters but Rennie and cast excel by keeping a tight rein on proceedings. Demetriadies walks us right up to the line of “girl-gone-craaaazzzy” but holds it together with fierce will. Her finale monologue soars without tipping over into drag. Her eyes are steely as they relive her most awful moments. 

And an extra round of applause please for Remy Hii, who stepped into the role of Doctor “Sugah” with only four days rehearsal. You can forgive him a quick glance at a well concealed script, his performance was as emotionally conflicted and steely as required. Every inch a charming Southern Gentleman thrown into a dense and morally murky scenario.

Suddenly Last Summer is a complex, taunt play given intoxicating life in this staging. Everything here is working in harmony, from the design, direction, script and cast. A great, fresh vision for this classic piece.