Review of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross Starring Christian Slater

Firstly, a huge thank you to Whaler for inviting me to the stunning Playhouse Theatre to see David Mamet’s masterpiece Glengarry Glen Ross and of course for the opportunity to meet the one and only Christian Slater after the performance. I KNOW!!!! Christian ‘freaking gorgeous and uber-talented’ Slater.

And breathe…

Last Monday evening was unusual in every way (I MEAN I GOT TO MEET CHRISTIAN FLIPPING SLATER first-off, but there’s more)… As I applied 4 layers of clothing because hello early winter, and rushed off to the West End to watch Glengarry Glen Ross, the Broadway hit and recent revival, it hit me that I just don’t do this often enough: watch theatre. Not since kids have come along, anyway…Well that’s certainly going to change from now on because there’s nothing like watching live action, live! Nada!

…I’ll set the scene before we reach the exciting Christian Slater crescendo because everyone loves a little build-up, right?!

Like so many of you, Christian Slater’s stunning mugshot was blu-tacked on to my bedroom wall as well as every notepad I ever owned, and even bizarrely my bedroom mirror (it could still be there, let me know Mum and I’m sorry!).

Christian Slater was the guy I hoped to marry (there’s still time right? Kidding Peter) and the one who vitally made me fall in love with character-driven movies, and the magical suspension of disbelief film offered a teen girl like me, with big dreams, and even bigger eyebrows. True Romance and Heathers still blow me away, today…So, seeing Christian Slater live, in the flesh, as you can imagine was quite the dream come true for this mummy blogger!

My date for the night was good mate, blogger, former PR and fellow Christian Slater obsessive, Bianca, of This is Everything, who as you can see, was equally excited to meet the C-dog as she called him, on Monday night, too! Check out the selfie-game on this. I’m. In. Awe.

But back to the play and why you should book NOW…A compelling drama that slowly but deeply immerses you into the world of the salesman and the often painful, cut-throat but exciting day-to-day life of selling real estate and race to top spot on the office leader board was intoxicating.

The play reveals the the very real anxiety and fear that lurked behind the alpha male salesman’s bravado, and revealed the great pressure to sell, sell, sell and #alwaysbeclosing (the tagline and hashtag) and emotional price the men paid, which in this case, was heading down a corrupt and criminal path.

I thought of the play for days, and weeks afterwards: the depth the characters were forced to, due to external and internal pressures they were dealing with. The loss of identity failure brought them.

A powerful, beautifully crafted piece, great drama creates empathy whomever the character is. There was no good and bad guy here, just a group of men each trying their best. The set veered between two distinct locations: a Chinese restaurant (with opulent red and gold gilded lantern lights) and a purposefully dreary, grey office. The gifted ensemble cast brought the technicolor-as did the cinematic direction by rising star, Sam Yates, making this an unmissable play.

Christian Slater is so strong as Ricky Roma, you’ll forget every other role you’ve even seen him in when you watch Glengarry Glen Ross.

How captivating the chemistry between Robert Glenister, Kris Marshall, Daniel Ryan, Oliver Ryan, Christian Slater, Stanley Townsend and Don Warrington is.

A plot full of surprises, not least in character motivation and twists and turns, will help you to laugh out loud as we did and you’ll lap up every moment each man has on stage.

It’s a moral tale, one of justice and hope but on empathy too. There’s no bad guys in this piece-just those desperate and EVEN more desperate to close the deal.

Meeting Christian after the performance, as well as the rest of the cast was the icing on the cake-Christian is one heck of a humble, sweet star surprisingly sans ego and we chatted about how fun he’s finding the play. We also got to shake hands twice.

The 16 year old in me wouldn’t those hands for a week. Fear not, I have but I’l; be printing the photo of us together and sticking it on my mirror, that’s for sure.

Do go see Glengarry Glen Ross-it will not disappoint.

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