Sweet Bird of Youth

Two tormented souls attempt very different comebacks in Tennessee Williams' charged drama Sweet Bird of Youth, which deals with weighty themes and - even by today's standards - taboo subjects.

Subject matter aside, though, it becomes clear why this is one of the playwright's less frequently performed works: it calls for a cast of more than a dozen actors, yet shines its spotlight on just two of them for the majority of play.

Naturally, the casting of these roles is crucial, and Dundee Rep favourite Irene MacDougall in on fantastic form as Alexandra del Lago (aka Princess Kosmonopolis), a former screen icon hiding out after suffering humiliation at the premiere of the film she hoped would revive her career.

Accompanying her (leading the way, as it transpires) is 29-year-old gigolo and aspiring actor Chance Wayne, who has hatched a plan to win back his childhood sweetheart, Heavenly. In terms of looks, Alan Turkington's faded golden boy is believably 'not the best' the Princess has ever had, 'but certainly not the worst', and his desperate, drugged-up attempt to reclaim the status he once enjoyed in his hometown convincingly provides a glimpse of the darkness in his past.

Less like cats on a hot tin roof than two tigers confined in the same cage, the pair use and abuse each other until the outside world intervenes. If the sweet bird is Chance's blinkered optimism, then the unsettling sound of flapping wings provides a clue to his eventual fate.

Heavenly's father is Boss Finlay (John Buick), a prominent local politician whose campaign focuses on the protection of innocent young white women from black men. If his racist political philosophy is venomous, it's nothing compared to the personal grudge he holds against Chance.

A faltering accent mars Keith Fleming's performance as Heavenly's vengeful younger brother, but generally the ensemble scenes work extremely well. Despite the sudden change of pace, director James Brining keeps a tight rein on the final scenes, never allowing the emotionally-charged action to veer into melodrama.

All in all, this is a handsomely staged and well-performed production of an unconventional but memorable play.