"Glengarry Glen Ross" by David Mamet

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre

The title of the play gives nothing away, and I wondered what it all meant. It comes from two real estate properties mentioned in the play: Glengarry Highlands, which is currently the prime real estate everyone is attempting to sell, and Glen Ross Farms, which is mentioned by several characters as having been very lucrative for those selling it several years ago.

It’s Mamet’s most celebrated play and there have been comparisons levelled at Arthur Miller’s “Death Of A Salesman”, but this play is more savage than Miller’s. It’s a competition between the four salesmen, set by their boss, to win a posh car; the runner up prize is a set of steak knives and the losing pair are to be fired. The steak knives, virtually, could be located in the backs of any one of the four men, such is the fierceness of the competition.

There’s a minor theme running through the play of food, which starts in the first scene in a Chinese restaurant and all the way through which is apt as this business is a dog eat dog world, so food and eating are up there, as well as a train of thought for how these salesmen turn into animals, protecting their patch and fighting for survival.

I am so pleased that the director trusted the actors with actual food, showing that they could eat and talk, just like real people do. It's the little touches like having food and drink in the context of the play that adds a lot of realism for me.

Mamet’s writing, and I must admit, this is my first experience of Mamet’s work and this play, is all about the words and the way they are brought to shocking life by this all male cast.The words are very fruity but relevant to the characters profession and hunger.

David Dunford (Shelley Levene), Wayne Parkin (John Williamson), Fraser Wanless (Dave Moss), Tony Lane (George Aaronow), Graeme Jennings (Richard Roma) all work in the real estate agents. Tony Breeze (James Lingk) is one of the customers who's not too happy that he can't get his money back and Chris Griffiths (Baylen) is the detective. Jim Brooks (Blake) provides the voice over at the start of the play.

At times the American accents wander a bit but on the whole they're pretty solid somewhere between Chicago and Brooklyn. I found all the actors got more into the American twang more in Act 2.

All the characters are very different and all actors presented their characters very well. I've known for a while that Fraser is one of the best character actors at the Lace Market Theatre (among many excellent character actors), but I've nor seen Fraser act with such passion and fire as tonight.

That too can be said about Graeme. There's a scene where he confronted Williamson and if that had been me in real life I would have either walked away, soiled myself or punched Roma, or maybe all three. Such an angry speech, delivered with fire.

David Dunford's initial scene with Wayne Parkin set the scene for the hunger and desperation, compounded by the next scene with Fraser and Tony, all the while building up this picture of competition.

One thing that I did think was a little disjointed, and this is due to Mamet's writing, was that in Act One we see "A" and "B" plotting and in Act 2 it is "C" that admits to what had happened. "C" had more of a motive but what happened to plans set by "A" and "B"? An odd twist, but at least Mamet got us talking about his work after the play was over, always a good thing in theatre.

Directed by Gordon Parsons the play was fast moving and spicy with tons of angry passion and fire.

Set Design by Chris Griffiths. A realistic two setting set which consisted of the Chinese restaurant in Act 1 and the office environment in Act 2.

Lighting Design by Philip Hogarth and Lighting Assistant Allan Green.

Sound design by Darren Coxon. Not sure if Darren had a hand in the interval and opening soundtracks but it all linked in to the theme of the play. I love a good linking soundtrack.

An interesting story of desperation and greed and the lengths some people may go to for job security. At just 80 odd minutes long as well, the intermission came faster than expected, as did the play end.

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Glengarry Glen Ross at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre - Review

There's a stream of four-letter words and other obscenities almost every time someone opens his mouth to speak in the Lace Market's latest production. This is David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross, the play on which that brilliant 1992 film was based.

Typically of Mamet, the bad language isn't gratuitous; this is dog-eat-dog 80s Chicago. And it's not just a matter of unprincipled salesmen trying to get one over on a naive public; each salesman - it's an all-male play - is struggling to gain and keep an advantage, fair or foul, over his competitors.

As well he might. The one who sells the most junk real estate in the Florida swamps wins a Cadillac Seville, the runner-up gets a set of steak knives, and the other two are fired.

It's a brutally non-complex plot, but the play is chiefly of interest for situation and character rather than what happens next. Crucial therefore that any production is served by good actors; this one certainly is - performances are first-rate.

Everyone handles the quick-fire fragmentation of the text remarkably well; the only problem is the wandering American accents. One actor settles for a no-nonsense British sound. At the other extreme Tony Lane, excellent as George Aaranow, is unmistakeably hard-nosed US. The others are in between.

David Dunford is the washed-up Shelley Levine, whining, wheedling and pathetic. Fraser Wanless is Dave Moss, punching out his words and deploying aggressive hand movement.

Graeme Jennings, as Richard Roma, is the only one we see closing a deal. And Tony Breeze plays James Lingk, the little victim of Roma's salesmanship whose wife wants to cancel the deal. He wears a raincoat – rain and raincoats are used in this play to underline the drab seediness of the whole thing.

This isn't a cosy night out, but it's theatre for grown-ups.

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REVIEW: Glengarry Glen Ross Lace Market Theatre

I was delighted to return to the Lace Market Theatre on Monday Night and experience something with an older cast and a more mature storyline after reviewing the Youth Theatre’s Carpe Jugulum in March. This time we saw Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, a Pulitzer and Olivier award-winning gritty drama. I have seen the film with Ed Harris and Kevin Spacey and was very much looking forward to experiencing this classic in its original medium.

Before the play starts we get to see the set, basic but realistic. This piece is to be all about the dialogue. There are only two sets. The first half takes place in a Chinese restaurant, fast paced and only 35 minutes and the Second half about 45 minutes set in the Office, featuring posters of scantily clad women, a real salesmen’s office, certainly not one for the kids.

The Voiceover sets the scene: the salesmen are given the news that all but the top two will be fired at the end of the week. The First Prize is a Cadillac, followed by the second prize Steak Knives (Of course… this is 1980’s Chicago.) We then meet seasoned salesman Shelley Levene played by David Dunford desperately begging new kid on the block John Williamson (Wayne Parkin) to give him better leads, so he can help his sick daughter. His desperation is opposed by co-worker Dave Moss (Fraser Wanless) who is sick of being taken for a ride and makes a plan to steal the leads for himself.

The snide plans, desperate tactics and extremely colourful language remind me of The Wolf of Wall Street, and it adds a lot of comedy, to an overall dire situation.

The Casting was spot on. For me Fraser Wanless as Dave Moss hit the nail on the head, he was aggressive, selfish and manipulative, everything a stereotypical salesman should be. Tony Lane as George Aaronow has a certain comical vulnerability that was well thought out. Graeme Jennings portrayal of top dog Richard Roma’s fall from grace was genius. The only issue with the casting was the accents, some hit the tough Chicago accent spot on, whilst others avoided it completely. Overall though the acting was still good enough to pull off the show and it was an enjoyable experience, just make sure you leave the kids at home.

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Lace Market Theatre review: 'Glengarry Glen Ross' GREED IS NOT GOOD... the souring of the American dream!

For a while in the mid-sixties David Mamet worked in a real estate office validating "leads" and making for the salesmen to go on "sits" in the homes of the gullible in the hope that this prospect would lead to a sale. Both parties were chasing after the American dream for the opportunity of improvement yet both were victims of their own materialism so evident in the eighties when the play was written and first performed.

The salesmen assume they enjoy the liberty that a free market economy allows but they are at the mercy of the quality of the leads they are given marshalled by Williamson – who does not really like the salesmen – the sneer developed by Wayne Parkin in the role of being semiotic of the contempt he has for them. However, the sneer indicative of the scorn Williamson has established, does not give way during the performance; although the character is not likeable he does have his moments and resents being considered as being little more than the menial female position of a secretary and he knows the salesmen need him. Being a relative of one of the partners of the firm he thinks he has power where there is none to be achieved and sees it as almost his duty to ensure that the best prospects are given to the salesman who will Always Be Closing to get the profits. Poor Shelley Levine does not get many good leads and when he does make a sale it kicks out. Whilst one experiences a sense of catharsis and feels some pity for Levine, who has been a good salesman in the past, he has had his day and now could not even sell a bag of peanuts at a ball game.  We have all been in this man’s position at one time or other when it never seems to stop raining and It has been raining on Levine for some time, but he cannot walk away because he is unable to do anything else. In desperation, he comes in from the inclement weather to the restaurant where Williamson has been eating – Levine cannot afford to eat – to confront the sneering gatekeeper of the leads in the commencing duologue of the first act. He is certain that with a good lead he could be on a winning streak again.

The second paring between the nervous George Aaranow, portrayed by Tony Lane, anxiously fidgeting with the tooth picks to illustrate his disquiet at the over-weaning confidence displayed by Fraser Wanless as Dave Moss bemoaning his lot within the agency for whom they all work. Dave’s previous employer gave out much better leads from which a sale was almost guaranteed and all he seems to get are sits with Indians and Polacks who do not want to commit to parting with their hard-earned cash – they too want a part of the American dream, but are willing to save for it and will not give it to a fly-by-night salesman. George becomes even more fretful as Dave reveals his plan of breaking into the office and stealing what leads the company has, to sell on to the competition, but Dave is not going to do it and has created a seemingly cast iron alibi to protect him. Someone else can do the dirty work whilst Moss keeps his hands clean and takes the money offered. But who can he get to break in to the office – jumpy George?

Finally, the audience is introduced to the star salesman of the company, Richard Roma, played by Graeme Jennings – possessing the best accent of all the actors – utilising philosophy, which says more about himself than a little, to gain a sale from the unsuspecting Lingk, whom Roma has just met at the bar. Obviously, the salesman does all the talking. All the duologues were given severally, separated by a blackout after each vignette as opposed to have all six juxtaposed on stage simultaneously that would have been more naturalistic, however, it would not have allowed the audience to think about what was being revealed.

The threatened burglary of the office at the start of the second act is the pay-off for all the duologues in the first half. The leads have been purloined along with the phones and typewriters Dave Moss is being interviewed by the police and George Aaranow, as the red-herring, is playing an uneasy game of solitaire, perhaps to hide a guilty conscience?  One by one the salesman find themselves subjected to the humiliation of the police interview – as they are humiliated in begging the public to buy – as if one of them as done the deed. Roma bursts having closed the deal with Lingk, to demand his Cadillac as his reward, but finds that the contract has been mislaid. Shelley Levine has also finally come good and converted one of the leads given to him and sold to a couple of Polish extraction: turning the tables on the parasite, the ever-sneering Williamson, demanding that his efforts be recognised and Williamson put his name on the board to show the sale he has secured.

Roma has respect for Levine, the audience had previously only had Levine’s word that he had been the firm’s top salesman, but it is now revealed that he taught Richard Roma everything he knew. None of the salesman have any respect for Williamson, he has never gone out on a "sit" in front of a client and does not know what hoops the guys go through to secure a sale to gain their daily bread.  He displays this disdain throughout, this is particularly evident during the scene enacted by Roma and Levine as they try to stop Lingk from demanding his cheque; persuading the unsuspecting Pole that it had not even be cashed. Williamson cuts through their play-acting to confirm that, in fact, the cheque has been into the bank. Levine is revealed as being the thief after admitting that he saw Lingk’s contract on the desk; usually Williamson would file them, like a secretary, but last night he forgot this one and it condemns the old salesman. The "secretary" has finally triumphed as Shelley Levine – the man who taught the star salesman, Roma, all the tricks – unwittingly exposes himself. The broken Levine is left in the office, eliciting some sympathy as he is left in the debris of his dreams that have now become a nightmare as his Nemesis squeals to Detective Baylen.

A competent production using a somewhat austere set that perfectly illustrated the covetousness of the eighties, which, to some extent, has never really gone away. However, the portrayals of the characters appeared to be a little two dimensional, but that is perhaps due to the nature of the subject matter – all the salesman care about is closing the deal. Roma illustrates that he is aware there is more to life, but he will play the game because there is no other, however, it would have been nice to have seen more of the relationship with him and the elder statesman of the office, Levine, to make him "rounded". Also, some of the American accents from some members of the cast seemed to wander from Chicago to Boston to being distinctly mid-Atlantic! Nevertheless, despite of the foregoing, having been once employed in that situation, I felt that I could walk into that cut-throat world of sales where nothing else matters but the deal.

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