Paul Mescal’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ adds extra shows due to high demand and selling out

How to get tickets

Who wants to see his ugly mug on stage?

“Tickets for the upcoming West End transfer of the Almeida Theatre's acclaimed production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire went on sale February 1, and the classic drama completely sold out in two hours, making it the fastest-selling production for any Ambassador Theatre Group production or venue.”

"Who wants to see his ugly mug on stage?"

well, apparently a lot of people.

Did he write a new version? It to be Tenessee Williams ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.

He looks like an old woman.

2 hours??? Ha! It would sell it in 1 if I headlined it.

Hi, Paul Mescal troll.

Does he whip out his Irish cock again?

NYTimes gave his performance an incredible review.

Yes, supposedly his performance throughout this production has been nothing short of incredible. Even celebs are going to see him in it.

Hope it is better than the awful Gillian Anderson version.

Five threads in one day about Paul Mescal but I still don't find OP irritating. There is something endearing in his adoration, unlike other trolls we could mention.

r12 I love that version. Still have it on my computer, I ripped it in HD when it was briefly available on YouTube during the pandemic.

It's getting too much, he's shining too bright, this is not sustainable.

R14 Golly, what did you love?

that is a total awig pic.

There is something about him I like. I really liked him In After Sun. I thought his performance in that wonderful.

His odd encounter with Nicole Kidman when she came backstage to meet him.

I believe the first London production of this was a bit disastrous, due to thoughtless cuts by Olivier and his shaky handle on the overall story’s environment. He only took it on to please his wife. I don’t think audiences or critics even loved it that much.

Has ANY British version been a big success? Maybe this play just isn’t for them.

R20 this version IS a big success.

r20 if it was “disastrous” it wouldn’t have been extended in the first place. In reality it was sold out every night. That’s a success story.

After being extended, every single show sold out within 2 hours of ticket sales starting, making it the fastest selling production. See r3

Do research before posting.

Is December Angelina and Shiloh went to see the play and then went out to coffee with Mescal. This sparked dating rumors that were false.

PageSix ran with it but she was just singing his praises for an incredible performance in Streetcar.

R7: You had your chance to do West End theater but you turned it down to do studio films. Good luck with Wonka.

[quote] "Who wants to see his ugly mug on stage?"

Yeeeeah R2, I don't find him appealing either. Especially in that OP photo. He should be a decent actor, though. I'll give him that until I see him in something.

[quote]r22 if it was “disastrous” it wouldn’t have been extended in the first place.

Oh, was Laurence Olivier involved in the current revival? Or could I have been speaking of the original production… as I stated?

[quote] Do research before posting.

Learn to read before replying.

OP's picture is particularly unflattering. He has what we in Ireland call a "big Irish head" in it.

It’s nice to see someone gaining steam based off actual talent and not looks.

Can't be a serious actor without following Brando

Paul's state of mind in this picture- you choose the most likely:

1) He's obsessively worrying that he may not be attractive enough for the DL gays;

2) He's concerned that he didn't pack enough sticks to beat away the people in the audience who love him way too much.

I like his taint.

R29: It’s nice to see someone gaining stream based off actual talent and not Chalamet level media hype.

R33 that too

He does nothing for me but I LOVE that gold jacket !

Prey eyes.

R7 It might but only because it would then be regarded as a comedy.

La Chalamet is shitting her pants.

I'm a Streetcar fanatic but honestly from what I read in the reviews, however outstanding they may be, they dont exactly fill me with a burning desire to go. The actors are too young (yes I know in the play they are the around that age, but there's a reason it's always been cast at least a little older than that) , its supposed to be a "modern" take with no furniture and little props, and has the now way over done water/rain effects when "shit gets real" to show us just how much turmoil the characters are going through(blegh) and from interviews with the director it seems like a very simplistic reading of the play. And I have to say, an irish actor, a spanish-british actress (who I hate to say is not exactly a beauty, fading or otherwise) and an indian/british (playing sister to a white actress) actor all barely over 30 save Mescal who is 27, in a bare London stage hardly reads as steamy New Orleans in the late 40s to me.

R39 ok….

R38: Barry Keoghan is in talks to join the Gladiator sequel. La Chalamet is having diarrhea.

There is nothing alluring about this man. Every facial feature is unattractive. His hair is stupid-looking.

My disbelief cannot be suspended sufficiently.

R42 that’s your opinion. I respect it. But I disagree. I find him quite sexy in a very odd way. He’s not conventionally attractive but still attractive

He is not masculine. He is the weak sort of Irish. Not a beautiful souled poet like Cillian Murphy, no Colin Farrell smoldering sensuality, and no stoic sensitivity, yet brute hunkiness like Liam. Even Barry Keogh has a puppy dog charisma I adore.

This guy is a big nothing.

I personally don’t see him as a Blanche, but times are changing. And I haven’t seen the production .

Rain ? So its like a Flash dance scene?

This girl has to sell her ticket, if anyone wants to buy.

I wish flying to London and back was still dirt cheap like it used to be. I would legit make it a day trip to fly over, see his show, and then fly back 😂

In the 90s people used to do that for things like beanie babies etc. they would fly to London to find the beanie babies not available in the states, go have lunch etc. and then fly back home. And not rich people, just normal everyday suburban folks

Tickets to Streetcar are more expensive than Beyoncé concert tickets. And I like how everyone makes it clear it’s to see Paul Mescal in Streetcar and not just see Streetcar lol

The theater raised the ticket prices after adding shows because the demand was so high to see Paul Mescal. Some people are slamming the theater for taking advantage.

He’s so in demand right now.

Fuck whoever this bitch who recorded this is. They got some of the audio but couldn’t record actual footage?!

R2- people who r sexually attracted to rats

who is the lesbian who keep posting this rat face bully again n again

[...]

Terrible pic of him, OP. He looks like a younger Temple Grandin.

Won't be as good as the recent "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" revival in the West End, where gorgeous Jack O'Connell get his floppy cock out for a paying audience!

Is Paul going to whip his willy out during the "Stella!" finale!?

R50 assuming the theatre didn't have to pay a higher fee to extend their residence or give the actors a big bonus, this is indeed unfair but unsurprising

"It to be Tenessee Williams..."

Nell?

OT: why is there no Bway musical based on NELL??

[italic]Chicka, chicka, chickabee / T’ee an me an t’ee an me / Ressa, ressa ressa me / Chicka, chicka, chickabee [/italic]

The lyrics write themselves!

This positive review speaks well for Mescal's acting ability; theatre acting is tough. That said, I'm not a fan of tricked out stage version of old classics (like Cat On a Hot Tin Roof with talent-challenged Sienna Miller), but he's apparently more substance than might originally appear. Mescal might have actually been an interesting choice for a movie like Dune: he's young, a bit of cypher, but also someone that reflects the Paul in the Dune novel that could be dangerous. Whatever the case, I surprised DL doesn't like him more since he seems to be the ant-Timmy

I don’t think DL has an issue with him. Most who’ve seen Aftersun seem to have mostly positive opinions

R61 the jury is out for me due to claims he was a homophobic douche in his younger years

R63 you can keep on saying it over and over but a 3 year old anonymous Reddit post really doesn’t hold the weight you want it to.

It was mentioned above that Barry Keoghan ("The Banshees of Inisherin") is in talks to join the Gladiator sequel.

Today the Hollywood Reporter says:

[quote] Denzel Washington in Talks to Join Paul Mescal in ‘Gladiator’ Sequel

So, big movie.

I think both things could be true: he's a talented guy, a big fish in a small pond in Ireland and he was a douchebag to his inferiors -straight & gay alike. But now he's in a far different pool of people, he can't be be perceived as too uppity. I wouldn't necessarily doubt that all of that stuff is true, because he just thought he'd be some big swing dick in Ireland, not an international star

It was one post from 3 years ago from an ANONYMOUS poster on Reddit. Seriously. I pray anyone who is taking that serious doesn’t get to vote or ever have jury duty. Absolutely zero critical thinking skills.

He plays the street or the car?

They had to retitle it "A Streetcar Named Butterface".

I saw it just after Christmas. Yes the staging was a bit off as it's in the round and the rain is gimmicky but the performances were excellent and Patsy Ferran was superb and believable as Blanche. Paul had the right amount of menacing and brute arrogance as Stanley (even if the accent did slip into a tad of an Irish twang at times). And for all you thirsty bitches he does get down to his underwear in one scene. However the mullet he's sporting was more West Virginia than New Orleans.

Well now it’s in a new theater on the West-End. I think the new theater holds more people but the stage is smaller.

R64- fuck off mike pence

the shade

[quote] I believe the first London production of this was a bit disastrous, due to thoughtless cuts by Olivier and his shaky handle on the overall story’s environment.

Who gave you those 'beliefs' from 70 years ago? What is it that lunatic named Donald Spoto?

R61, Good to know that, re: positive reviews, acting ability, and theater.

R65, Good to know about the "cred" of Denzel.

My points, boys:

Austin Butler received a better review in "The New Yorker" for Denzel's 2018 "The Iceman Cometh" than did Denzel and the rest of the cast.

Point 2: Denzel cold-called Baz to recommend Austin for "Elvis."

Stanley O'Kowalski.

Cultural appropriation. The author isn’t named Tipperary Williams.

I like Streetcar but what does a "deeply empathic" view of Stanley mean?

They better not be whitewashing him. He's a scumbag.

Probably means Mescal’s portrayal of him adds elements to him where he’s a lot more troubled but not evil.

He really was a pig R78 but with someone as beautiful as Marlon playing him you just wanted to be the one to civilise and change him. Not so much when played by the likes of Alex Baldwin or Paul here who, while not unattractive, is hardly a stunner like Brando.

R79. Right. So... whitewashing.

R80. Even when Marlon played him I thought the character was a sack of shit.

I know it wasn't true to the original but I didn't mind the changed ending. I just kept thinking "YES! Get the fuck out Stella!"

That would probably be a personal choice of the actor r81.

I hope to make it out!

Stanley is a rapist, but Blanche was a crazy old nympho who prick-teased him and led him on. That's how he's "empathetic."

Stanley's rape of Blanche was a form of shock therapy, an attempt to make her see reality and lose her romantic views of the racist and oppressive Plantation South. To shock her out of her "Belle Reve."

That's how Stanley can be enacted as an "empathetic" character.

[quote] That's how Stanley can be enacted as an "empathetic" character.

There's virtualy nothing "empathetic" about the rape in the play or the character of Stanley in general. He's completely the opposite of that word in every way, to the last moment of the play.

If I were in London, maybe, maybe, I'd go. I sure wouldnt remotely consider a trip just for the occasion of seeing this okay actor in yet another production of this undeniably great play.

R84/R85. Well the purchasing habits of DLers are at your own discretion.

But I'm not buying either of those. I agree with R86.

And any attempt to make the audience empathize with Stanley, especially with Blanche right there, would be in poor taste in my opinion.

I’m seeing this in two weeks so I will report back!

BTW I *LOVED* the very avant garde Gillian Anderson revival from a few years ago, so sue me. Ben Foster was especially excellent and I adored the set/production design.

[quote]R74 Who gave you those 'beliefs' from 70 years ago? What is it that lunatic named Donald Spoto?

Irene Mayer Selznick’s autobiography.

My impression is the play ran on Vivien Leigh’s box office appeal, but Laurence Olivier was very uncomfortable (and unfamiliar) with the material. He also cut the play’s text, without authorization, which weakened the piece’s lyricism. He finally had to lift the staging from the original New York prompt books and credit the play as “Directed by Laurence Olivier from the New York production."

In short, as a director Olivier had no personal connection to the material and was only there because Vivien Leigh wouldn’t do the show without him. You can get a good interpretation or production under those circumstances.

^^ [bold]can’t [/bold]get

That's a new one, R85--rape as "empathy."

Oh please, I doubt he’d be taking gay roles when his career is hot if he was a homophobe. That entire Reddit crap was debunked. Are you all 13? Believing anonymous shit online as gospel?

It's really not new, R92.

Was it the Hays code where wrongdoers had to be punished for their actions that caused the changed ending to the movie?

R95, Stanley isn't punished, unless you consider that Stella turns on him at the end, which she does not do in the play. Not much of a punishment.

Where are some of you getting the idea that Stanley is empathic in this version?

I still think the movie isn’t a happy ending. It’s not at all likely Stella stays away from Stanley.

R96 I mean Stanley is "punished" by Stella leaving him with their baby, I was right, it was put in because they alluded to rape, therefore Stanley had to "suffer" at the end.

Here's an interesting short video I watched of how they had to make certain cuts and changes to appease the "Legion Of Decency", something I'd never heard of which could basically tell all Catholics not to see a movie or show it if they ran a cinema. So much power over content.

Interesting to have comparison with the restored version which is a bit more daring I guess

Everything was highly censored back then. This isn’t news

I paid hundreds of pounds to see Paul Mescal in this play, and I need to see him as a sexy bad boy deserving empathy!

I never got this idea that "Brando was so good looking, he made you like Stanley".....because NO....I do find Stanley somewhat likeable or sympathetic at times (and I will die on the hill that we are meant to , again,at times) mostly if he's played with some nuance by the actor, but not because he's fucking good looking. I may fantasize about fucking him, but that doesn't mean I find him sympathetic as a whole.

R98 I remember watching that at 13 and even then knowing they were implying that Stella returns to Stanley, yet most grown ass adults still think that's how the movie ends.

Am I wrong or did they not say Stanley was empathic in the play but that the version of the play was? Y'all need to read more slowly.

Mescal is "swaggering AND sensitive" according to the NYT's Matt Wolf.

Mescal adds a sensitivity to Stanley that most actors haven’t prior. That doesn’t mean he’s empathetic. R104 is right, which is why upthread I asked why some of you keep complaining about Stanley being empathetic. The reviews say the play is empathetic and one of the more empathetic takes, but not that Stanley himself is, although Mescal adds a touch of sensitivity and swagger to the role.

Always looks like he has a smelly cock

What the fuck is a smelly cock? He is just very Irish looking. His family looks Irish. Legit Irish. Not what we are used to in the states with Irish Americans, who are very mixed. His features show a man whose family line is Irish going back many years.

[quote]R108 What the fuck is a smelly cock?

If you have to ask…

Paul Mescal. Paul Mescaline.

R85, Bizarre analysis. Rape as therapy? Good one. Maybe Trump will use it soon.

R110, Mescal is good enough.

R112 he said he considered using Mezcal as his surname because everyone pronounces it like that anyway when he was on Jimmy Kimmel. But he decided to just keep his real name.

[quote] Am I wrong or did they not say Stanley was empathic in the play

R104, who is "they" and what are you talking about?

[quote] I mean Stanley is "punished" by Stella leaving him with their baby, I was right,

If you consider that "punishment" for rape, then I guess you're "right," R99.

Well, it was good enough “punishment” to appease the 1951 censors, r115.

It’s not like R95/R99 said the new ending represented true justice.

Well, that was the stupidity of the censors and censorship in general. At any rate, do you have a point, R116?

Yes. That you’re a cunt.

R116. 'Punishment' may have been the stated reason (I don't remember) but that altered scene is rewarding for a different reason.

Because it gets a vulnerable woman and her baby away from a psycho.

Oy vey, the subheading of the NYT rave review of Paul Mescal in Streetcar calls his performance “emphatic”.

^^ “empathic” too.

R121 it says the play is empathic. Not his performance.

R118=pointless cunt.

Thanks to R122, who can read. So much for the academic triangulations about Stanley himself being empathic from some twats here. So it's Tennessee Williams who was the empathic one.

Hahaha! I just looked again at the OP's photo of PM. He looks like an Irish bullfighter!

I only heard an audio clip of his performance and it did not sound good... sounded amateurish, too young for the role, couldn't shrug his accent off...

Maybe I need to listen again, or maybe it's gotten better since then?

Haven't watched the film since I was a teenager, but didn't think much of it - very much a stage. play. and the rape at the end is both a contrived shock move, as well as being too censored and ambiguous to land a proper shock. Why would Stanley rape her? She was annoying as hell and old... it'd make sense if he lost his temper and beat her, or just had her carted off. The rape makes no sense at all.

But Brando played that role perfectly, there's way to play that character differently, only less accurately, because that's exactly who Stanley was. Can't believe any actor would touch the role again given the fame of it and the comparisons.

R126 is basing an entire performance on 30 seconds of audio.

I sound contrary saying I didn't think much of it, but honestly, take out sexy Brando and this play would be long forgotten. Everything other than sexy Brando is insufferable, and actually Stanley is insufferable when he opens his mouth.

[quote] Even celebs are going to see him in it.

Wow, even celebrities? They are our betters and know quality when they see it... I'm sold!

R129 whether you’re sold or not is irrelevant. You couldn’t see the play even if you wanted to. Why? Because it’s sold out. Every showing. Sold out.

R126/R128, your opinion of the play flies in the face of the fact (yes, fact) that it is an important American play and is constantly being revived, mainly because of the beauty of Williams' language and the complexity and iconic nature of the two main characters, particularly the character of Blanche. But both characters are a feast for any intelligent, well-suited actor.

Stick to your day job of offering your thoughts on DL and don't attempt to be a theater critic.

[quote]Stick to your day job of offering your thoughts on DL and don't attempt to be a theater critic.

Ditto.

Well, I know something about whence I speak, unlike you, R132.

[quote]I sound contrary saying I didn't think much of it, but honestly, take out sexy Brando and this play would be long forgotten.

You couldn't be more wrong or sound more ignorant.

Imagine thinking Brando being sexy is what made this classic play stand the test or time lmao.

A Twinkcar Named Desire

Would this production need to come to the states to be considered for Tonys?

He was also in the original Broadway production, R135.

Yes but he wasn’t nearly as charismatic on stage as film.

How could you possibly say that, R139, when his last stage appearance was "Streetcar" in 1948? You have absolutely no point of reference. Pauline Kael described seeing him in "Truckline Cafe" in 1946 and said he was riveting--just as riveting as she found him to be in films.

So, did he play Blanche or Stella?

I'm surprised Broadway hasnt had a go at Streetcar this year or last, last December it was the 75th anniversary.

Broadway has been dying.

R142, reminds me of the spate of Virginia Woolf revivals. I'm kind of done with those for a while, and I love that play. But it's long.

R144 They were about to revive Virginia Woolf in 2020, it was going to premiere in April 2020, they even did a bunch of preview performanced, then covid happened. I was living in NYC then and I was crushed, I was really looking forward to seeing it.

Covid also killed the West Side Story revival.

There was a period about 10-12 years ago when everyone was doing Streetcar...Blanchett at BAM in late 2009, Rachel Weiz in London the same year, then they did the all black Streetcar in 2012...guess the US is Streetcar tired.

Streetcar is a play that will never go away. It’s beloved. And actors love playing those parts. They’re multi-layered. Especially Blanche. She’s a fun part to play for someone who loves the art of theater.

Not all actors are meant for theater.

All the productions of Streetcar being mentioned flies in the face of what R128 said:

[quote] I sound contrary saying I didn't think much of it, but honestly, take out sexy Brando and this play would be long forgotten.

Mind you, "Streetcar" was first produced in 1948, and it's being produced 75 years later.

Oh and not to mention Gillian Anderson in London in 2014.

Out of all of them, I think the Blanchett one is the one I most would have liked to see. Mixed feelings about the Gillian Anderson which I saw, and the clips of the all black revival ones don't make me think I missed much (unlike the absolute excellent black CoaHTR from a few years back).

TBH, I don't really see the appeal for Mescal from a physical standpoint....he's a puffy Irishman and he's only in his 20s.

You literally keep repeating yourself.

I wish Manhattan Theatre Club (or someone) had put Tim O'Tay back onstage in Prodigal Son just after CMBYN came out. He was supposed to have been quite good.

R152 I hope that wasn't directed towards me (151).

I just got here.

Someone likes to keep inserting Chalamet into the conversation.

Chalamet IS Stanley.

Chalamet as Stanley would be laughable.

Exactly.

He's already laughable on a red carpet.

[quote]Haven't watched the film since I was a teenager, but didn't think much of it - very much a stage. play. and the rape at the end is both a contrived shock move, as well as being too censored and ambiguous to land a proper shock. Why would Stanley rape her? She was annoying as hell and old

One of my mom's elderly friends was raped by a young guy who broke into her apartment. Rapists rape because they are rapists. It has nothing to do with how attractive their victims are.

R159 exactly. That poster is a retard though. No shock he thinks it’s about attractiveness and not about the thrill of rape for them and power.

Stanley raped because he needed to destroy Blanche's air of gentility.

He raped her for the same reason men rape other women ....its the only way he felt he could take his power back. That simple.

[quote]R150 Out of all of them, I think the Blanchett one is the one I most would have liked to see.

Absolutely! And the approach to the setting etc. appears quite shabbily tawdry, too. The whole thing doesn’t usually look this dirty. But it makes sense that it should. I mean, sleeping in Stella’s kitchen SHOULD make Blanche’s skin crawl.

They need to revive The Voice Of The Turtle and The Chocolate Soldier!

And "Abie's Irish Rose," R164.

They could do a gay version, r165, "Abie's Irish Ronan." Timmy could play Abie, with Mescal as Ronan.

The West-End production started again today!

R164 They need to revive The Voice Of The Turtle and The Chocolate Soldier!

You know, I was house sitting for someone and desperate for something to read and THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE (worst title ever) was lying around. It was actually very touching and charming!

I bet a lot of its impact on stage has to do with the casting. Which is why I’ve never seen the movie. The two leads seem drab.

^^ should have been in quote brackets : (

[quote]r164 They need to revive The Voice Of The Turtle and The Chocolate Soldier!

R162, Pretty much what I meant in r161.

“ And his Stanley is indeed good — great, even. It’s far more menacing than Brando’s, more focused, more athletic. At one point, Mescal, sporting a hipster mullet, strips to his underwear — yes, the audience gets the Kidman view — and slides into a pair of red silk pajamas, as specified by Williams in the text. Then Mescal veers from the script by dropping to all fours and tracking Blanche like prey. “Paul discovered that during a physical rehearsal,” says director Frecknall. “We called it The Dog. He became this weird, feral dog. It really scared me.””

[quote] It’s far more menacing than Brando’s

Any comparison to Brando I can't take seriously. Mescal is no Brando.

R172 anyone who plays Stanley will automatically be compared to Brando. Stupid thing to be bothered by.

R172 David Fear of Rolling Stone would like to have a word with you. He says Mescal is the second-coming of Brando.

R173, dear, I wasn't bothered by it. I simply discounted it. And no, not all actors playing Stanley are automatically compared to Brando in every review. Okay?

Actually, yes, any actor playing Stanley gets compared to Brando. He originated the role and is iconic as Stanley in the film version.

Not necesarily, R176. Some actors aren't worth the comparison. It's almost too easy a comparison for a critic. I suppose that Mescal being compared to Brando means his performance is worthy, but I don't believe for a minute he does anything better than Brando did. Brando certainly had much more sexual magnetism. But Brando is, of course, in a class by himself.

Interesting that they mention the bullying, predatory qualities Mescal brings to the role so creepily. It suggests that the accusation of homophobia might be valid.

[quote]Then Mescal veers from the script by dropping to all fours and tracking Blanche like prey. “Paul discovered that during a physical rehearsal,” says director Frecknall. “We called it The Dog. He became this weird, feral dog. It really scared me.””

That sounds pretty silly. Brando could convey menace with a glance.

I never received Brando as “menace” while watching. An asshole, sure.

R177 him playing a character has what to do with homophobia? You’re becoming ridiculous with your need to push a bullshit lie an anonymous poster made on a public forum 3 years ago.

Sorry, but Brando was never menacing as Stanley. Rewatch the film. He never gives off dangerous as much as arrogant and an asshole. He really came off like many men did back then. Even during the rape scene.

R179, if you didn't see menace in Bramdo you're blind.

Calm down, R180. I'm saying the qualities of nasty behavior Mescal brings are also in homophobes, which could--could--lend itself to what I said was an accusation made against him.

R182 homophobes come in all types of people. They aren’t all like that. He’s playing Stanley. He isn’t Stanley. Maybe you should look up what acting is.

Brando wasn’t menacing. And PS I will have to look back and find your (yes you) saying Brando wasn’t scary or menacing as Stanley. You’re only now saying he was because critics say Mescal is scary as Stanley in a way Brando never was.

Paul Mescal has received universal praise for his performance. Even critics who didn’t like the production praise his “unique” take on Stanley to no end.

R183, trust me, I know what acting is.

R184, get a grip. And you'll find I never spoke of Brando on this thread until I mentioned him as being mentioned him in that review. And I'll say it again: Mescal has neither the sexual charisma or the menace of Brando.

I just wanna point out that I’m impressed that his name carried this show to so much success, breaking records and them adding shows here and there because the demand is just so high.

R189 you don’t know what acting is when you think an actor must be bad because he plays a bad character badly.

R189 on this thread, maybe. But you’ve commented on others. And yes, you have. No need to lie.

This critic gives a very honest and strong review of Mescal’s performance.

“Paul Mescal is well aware that anyone who plays Stanley is shadow-boxing with Brando, so it’s a bold swing at this blossoming stage in his career to do so for a short run at the Almeida Theatre. Tickets sold out at lightning speed. I wonder what those who fell for his soulful portraits of masculinity-in-crisis in Normal People and Aftersun made of a performance animated by hatred. Where Brando sublimated this facet beneath playful charm, Mescal leans into it. Eyes glitter with venom, spit flies, face pinkens and neck tendons bulge.

In the hours after the play, if I had seen Mescal coming towards me, I would have turned tail and fled. Perhaps this is a feature not a bug for a reluctant millennial heartthrob.

This aggression starts out as a disquieting note within an attitude of barely-concealed contempt. Mescal is aloof about his sex appeal, both as it strikes Blanche – when she arrives at the house of her estranged sister Stella and her husband Stanley, all frazzled and thirsty with a suitcase of faded gowns – and as it plays to an audience populated by his fans. The Almeida is a small venue that specialises in extra intimacy between performers and audiences. During last year’s run of Daddy, Jeremy O Harris’s play about sexual patronage in the LA art world, those in the first two rows were equipped with towels in anticipation of being splashed by the titular daddy, Claes Bang as he frolicked in the on-stage swimming pool. For Streetcar, director Rebecca Frecknell makes use of the narrow walkways, having performers dash around so close that panting can be heard. If Mescal was affected by the collective intake of breath that came whenever he changed clothes on stage, he shut it down. Not a drop of energy went towards indulging the erotic gaze; it was all focused on expressing a destructiveness that only grew until it eclipsed the room and sent us off into the night, disturbed.”

That's not what I said, you moron R191.

R192, what the fuck are you even banging on about?

More from the article at r195

“Opposite the highly sympathetic Ferran, Mescal’s open cruelty lands all the more painfully, like an elephant trapping an extremely clever gerbil by the tail. A taste of the vitriol that Stanley has for Blanche’s sexual character bubbles up during a discussion about star signs. She reveals that her star-sign is Virgo “the virgin”. “HAAA!” booms Mescal with furious scorn.

The impact of his performance comes from the combination of technical brilliance with emotional coldness. He is loud, vital and fast, but he is not trying to build a heartfelt case for Stanley’s insecurities as a working class, second-generation immigrant, he does not want us to like Stanley, but – by god – he wants us to respect a death drive that knows no reasonable bounds.

Sure, the script tells us that Stanley had to battle Stella’s class reservations before she would love him and Blanche’s appearance threatens to restore that old painful dynamic. Nonetheless, his hatred for Blanche is more encompassing than his love for Stella. Paul Mescal has given us a vision of misogyny that is forcefully opaque. If Brando’s predator of choice was a tiger cub, Mescal’s is a tiger shark.“

Thanks, Mary R197. We can do our own reading of the reviews.

Nonstop praise

R199, you're obsessed, right?

Everytime I see a post about this guy I wonder what Daniel Radcliffe is doing in the story/movie.

[post redacted because independent.co.uk thinks that links to their ridiculous rag are a bad thing. Somebody might want to tell them how the internet works. Or not. We don't really care. They do suck though. Our advice is that you should not click on the link and whatever you do, don't read their truly terrible articles.]

He'll never like you, R203. You're gay.

[quote]In case you didn’t know, the production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” was showing in East London to sold out shows every single night.

Since it's DL, I'll nitpick & point out that the Almeida Theatre is in Islington – in NORTH London (and closest to Central), not East.

There are MANY more reviews, but I will make this my last for now.

R206, did you RUN to see the next-best-thing-since Brando?

R210, not r206, but I did.

R211 YASSSS HONEY

Mescal should at least take his dick out, like James Farentino did.

So was that Mescal homophobe accusation definitively proved as false? Receipts?

Anyone with any semblance of common sense or the slightest bit of critical thinking skills knows it was bullshit. Anyone who believes one account from a BRAND NEW Reddit account who makes serious claims and then never replies to any questions etc. a BRAND NEW Reddit account is all one needs to know, as you don’t need anything to sign up for that forum but an email, and you don’t even need to verify an email to post like you do other places.

Not to mention the post got facts about Mescal wrong.

Paul looks great with facial hair!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣, R216!

R213 I feel he’s one of those who will do a lot less nudity as his career continues to blossom, at least on film or television that is.

NOBODY CARES ABOUT THIS DUDE!

FF

Yet he had no problem hauling it out when he was a relative nobody. Well, the internet is forever.

That was for R218.

R219, it's the mirror opposite of Chalamet stans.

R220 you can’t be picky when you’re starting out. Once you reach a certain level you can be.

It's kind of whorish.

His nudity wasn’t gratuitous though. It was done in a very professional way. The sex scenes in general were done well in Normal People.

Great, R225, as long as they take their cocks out.

Isn't taking his cock out what put him on the map? And now he's an artiste!

His performance put him on the map. Not his nudity. Maybe on DL but not around the world.

You're probably right, R228. He doesn't have much of a cock.

No one is worried about his Cock but you. They love him and his performance that put him on the map and earned him a BAFTA award and Emmy nomination

I'm not worried abouut his cock, R230. I commented on its underwhelming state.

I highly doubt Mescal was more menacing than Brando but there is far more to Stanley than just being menacing. I find Treat Williams Stanley from the 1984 miniseries as the most menacing I have seen, yet also one of the worst Stanley's I have seen. Meanwhile I really liked Alec Baldwins more naturalistic, less moustache twirly Stanley because he seemed a more down to earth and believeable Stanley.

It’s not hard to be more menacing than Brando when he wasn’t very menacing at all.

Brando wasn't impressive enough for Miss R233.

However, Mescal is a great actor and theatre is where his roots are. Literally everyone has praised his performance and he wasn’t given the Olivier for no reason.

R234 he was great but he wasn’t menacing. He was loud and brash and a meathead, and very much came off like a man of his time. But never came off scary or menacing. Just mean.

[quote] Literally everyone

Thst's literally not true, R235.

R236 didn't think Brando wasn't at all menacing right before he raped Blanche. Just a loudmouth meathead.

* didn't think Brando was at all menacing

PaulMescalLover, don't max out your credit cards buying up all of those tickets, okay?

R238 do you know what menacing is?

R237 post a critic giving him a negative review. We’ve posted tons showing the opposite. Now you post links to back up your claim. We will wait.

Oh god R242 shut the fuck up.

I'm not the one in need of a dictionary, R241.

R243 exactly. Because you can’t. While we can post PROOF of what we say, you can’t.

R244 obviously you do though…

R245, I'm not R243. You idiot.

You are though. However, where are the links to back up your claims?

But I'm not, you moron. If you bothered to check you'd see I'm not. You're so stupid.

Mmhmmmm. Anyway, where is the proof?

Proof of what, dear?

R197 tells me all I need to know. Why I'm sure Mescal's performance is powerful and magnetic, his Stanley seems unequivocally The Villain with zero redeeming qualities. Not like Tennesee envisioned him. Not like envision him either. But so as not to get the Mescal troll up in arms, that seems more like a directorial issue than a performance one

Mescal is no Brando.

I wish I could go see him and meet him 😢 I’m so jealous of these people.

R252 stupid comment. There’s no issue with it. Actors are allowed to make a character their own. Like one critic said, Mescal doesn’t want you to like Stanley. He plays him as evil. Brando didn’t. And that’s fine. They’re different interpretations. That’s what ART is.

Mescal is no Brando.

I love how this girl really shared her entire day lol. So cute.

R255 you're a dumbass. He is welcome to have his own interpretation, and I never said otherwise. I just don't think that THAT interpretation is what gets the ultimate message of the play through. Agree to disagree.

He looks more like the guy who delivers Blanche a telegram.

R258 what is the ultimate message of the play? Tell us.

No, you're obviously a troll, I wouldn't waste my time.

R261 what is the ultimate message of the play? You keep running your mouth but when confronted with questions where you are expected to provide proof or an explanation you retreat and play victim.

You claimed his performance had many bad reviews, where are those reviews? You were given many reviews praising him. Where are the reviews stating the opposite?

And what is the message of the play?

R261 here, R262...I am not the one who said anything about Mescal's reviews, that's some other poster, you lunatic. And again, I wouldn't waste my time explaining the messages because I have a feeling they would go over your head. As Blanche says, pearls before swine.

R263 smh. Sure.

What is the message?

This is the final week of Streetcar. I wonder if he’s happy AND a bit sad it’s coming to an end. Either way, yesterday was the free performance for people 25 and under. They loved it. And look at that smile on his face. He looks so happy. 😍😍😍

He looks mentally challenged.

Paul is cute now, although I can see him looking rather like fellow Irish actor Colm Meaney in a few years.

really r267?

He’s Irish. And true Irish to the point he has a very Irish face and face of a statue of someone who lived during the Roman times. His face is perfect for gladiator films and period pieces. He has a Roman nose too. Irish tend to age like milk in general (and always have been known to age fast) especially those who have very pale skin (he does). Add onto that the fact he’s a smoker, he will age fast if not careful.

I actually agree that he has a good face for period pieces, like the 1920s etc. or noire films.

I remember his (now hard to find) British Vogue interview where he was dressed up in an amazing suit and clean shaven with his hair (still short at the time) combed over nicely. He looked amazing.

Does Mescal's vision give us any raison d'etre for unmitigated hatred for Blanche? Is it because she threatens to undo Stanley's successful browbeating of Stella in order to "de-class" his wife, as it were? Is it that Blanche implicitly demeans his working-class life and thus his self, which equals his masculinity, of which the (imagined) denigrating can be answered only with a rape?

I don't know if it is reasonable to posit that Stella would marry a total and even evil misogynist.

You can be around an evil person and not know they’re evil until time has passed. Blanche seems to bring out that evil within Stanley in a way others don’t. And yes, he’s abusive to Stella but she takes it. Blanche won’t.

R272 Tennessee would absolutely wince at calling any of his characters simply as "evil".....in fact anyone who knew anything about good storytelling/character development would.

R274 Stanley is complex but pretty bad. Idk if he’s evil. He’s not evil in any variation of the play. Menacing = = Evil.

But one can say he’s evil because he rapes Blanche, is abusive to Stella and is mentally and emotionally abusive to Blanche as well.

R205, "[R]aw animal power" is a euphemism for "fugly."

He’s not pretty.

GAY BASHER!

"Map of Ireland" face. Must be one of the most Irish-looking Stanley Kowalskis of all time.

He’s gorgeous.

R280 Check your link.

I don't see the hot, not really.

R282 he isn’t for everyone. No one is.

Wow. To think this was two years ago. He sold out in London and then Brooklyn.

I hope he reprises the role again in Manhattan.

Our guy at the Cartier event in London tonight 🥵

My husband went with his B’way queen clique & liked it. Also: he loved Andrew Scott in Vanya. He didn’t like Betty Boop or the one with the Jonas Brother. I believe Smash is next on their list.