Review: Glengarry Glen Ross

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Glengarry Glen Ross.
Glengarry Glen Ross is a play set across two days in the lives of a group of American real estate agents who are battling it out to sell undesirable land by any means necessary. The play gets its title from said property, the Glengarry Highlands, and Glen Ross Farms, which was sold as part of a lucrative deal in the past. The play is set between a Chinese restaurant and a sales office in Chicago.

I have struggled with Mamet's work in the past, having previously seen the West End revivals of Speed-the-Plow and American Buffalo. I was not particularly fond of either play, but despite this I entered Richmond Theatre to view Glengarry Glen Ross with an open mind. I am pleased to say that I did prefer Glengarry Glen Ross to my previous experiences with Mamet, which is largely due to the play's second act. The first act, on the other hand, was a little slow for my liking. Whilst act one has a short running time of only half an hour, it still failed to fully hold my attention and did feel somewhat drawn out. Having said that, luckily act two really picks up the pace and becomes far more interesting. In act two, the story at last begins to unfold and take some really interesting turns. The dialogue that takes place in act two is utterly gripping, and parts of it are truly fascinating. Whilst act one drags on at moments, act two does arguably redeem it, with a more interesting story and much faster pacing.

Mark Benton, in the role of Shelley Levene, gave a riveting performance through a layered characterisation. Benton perfectly balances both the comedic and tragic elements of his character, leading to a flawless performance. He was very engaging, and throughout his monologues I was engrossed in what he was saying. Nigel Harman, as Ricky Roma, is also excellent and channels both the confidence and smug nature of the character perfectly. In his characterisation, he clearly demonstrates the character's ruthlessness, as well as his softer side that only Shelley sees. Denis Conway, in the role of Dave Moss, and Wil Johnson, as George Aaronow, are also outstanding and give remarkable performances.

The set design, by Chiara Stephenson, is a real highlight of this production. The precision and detail put into it was really something quite special. It added a lot to the production, and was incredible to look at.

Now for my final verdict on Glengarry Glen Ross. I give Glengarry Glen Ross...

Whilst act one was a little slow, act two makes for very interesting viewing and picks up the pace. In addition to that, there are some outstanding performances and an exceptional set design.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer