33 years on, Geraldine Somerville back in Glass Menagerie

Tonight Geraldine will once again be in front of an audience at the iconic venue for the opening night of a new production of the very same play.

Thirty-three years ago, Geraldine played Laura, the insular, solitary daughter in the play which had effectively launched Tennessee William’s career. It did the same for Geraldine and she was nominated for a best actor award in the Manchester Theatre Awards for Laura. Subsequently she has gone on to have success on stage, on screen - she’s Harry Potter’s mum after all - and on TV where she played alongside Robbie Coltrane in the groundbreaking crime drama Cracker.

Now she’s back at the Exchange this time playing the complex family matriarch Amanda Wingfield.

Geraldine Somerville in rehearsal for The Glass Menagerie

“I really hadn’t thought of it as being a role I’d love to play,” said Geraldine. “It’s not that it’s not a wonderful role, it most certainly is, but I think I was coming at it from the perspective of thinking ‘oh, I’ve done that play, I was Laura’.

“But when the idea was put forward I immediately thought it would be an amazing opportunity to revisit the play with a lifetime of experience. I certainly didn’t have any second thoughts or doubts about it.”

The Glass Menagerie is narrated by Tom remembering his difficult family life growing up in 1930s America. It is told through his memories of events and personalities and is widely regarded as being semi-autobiographical on Tennessee William’s part.

Amanda Wingfield is a woman trying to cope with a lifetime of disappointment. From her upbringing as a Southern belle she finds herself struggling to make ends meet, trying to keep her family together.

“I feel huge empathy for her,” said Geraldine, “which perhaps I wouldn’t have done when I first visited the play back in the day.

“I now have three children myself and I know what that’s like and how difficult that can be. It can be challenging. She is based on Tennessee Williams’ mother. I did a lot of research into his life and his mother was an only child rather spoiled and totally unprepared for the life that she eventually led which was in quite diminished circumstances financially and with a very difficult marriage.

Geraldine Somerville in reheasal for The Gass Menagerie

“Equally she is a flawed human being like we all are so there’s a lot to play around with which makes her really interesting. She is full of contradictions.

“The real challenge for me is all the lines. She never stops talking when she is on stage.

“Having played Laura who is so quiet and internalises everything, I hadn’t realised the incredible poeticism of the writing of Tennessee Williams. It is written in the way you would learn Shakespeare in that there is a complete rhythm to it and it is very lyrical. It’s also very real in the way that people speak.

“But that also adds to the challenge. If you get the words in the wrong order or miss a word out, it can completely throw you.

“I’d never realised that before but, then again, I didn’t have much to say last time!”

The Glass Menagerie is directed by Atri Banerjee who was responsible for an acclaimed production of Kes at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre recently.

Rhiannon Clements and Geraldine Somerville rehearse a scene with director Atri Banerjee (Pictures: Ella Sommeil)

“The whole thing has been a really creative experience,” said Geraldine. “I think it will possibly surprise people when they come and see it.

“In the traditional way of doing this play you’d have a fire escape, a typical small 1930s apartment and people mostly in 1930s’ costume. We’re not doing any of that.

“Our version is very much based on the memory aspect of the play; how do we remember things? What do we remember? It’s very different but it works really well.”

The Glass Menagerie was due to be performed as part of the Royal Exchange’s 2020 programme but Covid stopped that in its tracks.

“As a cast we’d set up a WhatsApp group but that was as far as we got,” said Geraldine. “They did say that when things were back up and running they’d like to put on the play but I’m not sure any of us thought it would really happen. So to be back - and with the same four actors who were originally due to do it - is just a wonderful opportunity.”

Geraldine is also delighted to be back in Manchester.

“We filmed all the police station scenes for Cracker at Maxwell House,” she said. “I was so shocked when that has all gone and it’s now the Printworks. The city’s changed so much.”

The Glass Menagerie at Manchester's Royal Exchange

One thing that hasn’t changed though is the Royal Exchange.

“It’s a brilliant space,” she said, “but it’s also terrifying as an actor. There’s nowhere to hide; you are totally exposed. That’s quite scary. But it’s also like being in a massive embrace. It’s a beautiful space to communicate a story in.”

The Glass Menagerie opens at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, tonight and runs until Saturday, October 8. Details from www.royalexchange.co.uk