CityLife

Glengarry Glen Ross

John McAndrew (Dave Moss) and James Quinn (George Aaronow)

Glengarry Glen Ross
Library Theatre
March 16, 2010

Which would you rather win - a shiny new Cadillac or a set of steak knives?

Those are the prizes on offer for four Chicago real estate salesman. Whoever tops the sales' chart wins the car and the runner-up gets the streak knives. Did I mention that the other two get the sack?

So if you think stress in the workplace is a 21st century phenomenon think again because David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play says it all. Written in the 1980's, it's based on his own experiences as a salesman in sixties America and it's easy to see why this work has been described as the literary sequel to Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman..

You may already have seen the re-written film version, which starred Jack Lemon, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin but the original stage version is just as powerful.

Director Chris Honer has hand-picked a superb cast, for this quality production and it's good to see it includes so many locally-based actors.

The play opens with a terrific soliloquy from David Fleeshman, who won a Manchester Evening News Drama Award in 2005. As Shelly ( The Machine) Levene,  one of two older salesman struggling to keep up with the hungry young bloods, he's partnered by James Quinn ( Fat Friends and Early Doors) as George Aaronow who's heart is no longer in the job.. Their joint desperation is heart-breakingly poignant.

Charismatic Richard Dormer, an MEN Awards nominee gives an astonishing performance as top salesman Richard Roma and John McAndrew ( Doctors and The Bill) is fellow salesman Dave Moss. Knutsford based Paul Barnhill ( Topsy Turvey) is the tough office manager John Williamson with Leigh Symonds also good as customer James Lingk.

This play may contain strong language but it also contains some of the best performances I've seen in this powerful ensemble production of what's regarded as a  masterpieces of 20th century drama.