A high-point of playwright David Mamet’s repertoire, Glengarry Glen Ross is an expletive-ridden and motor-mouthed dive into the unscrupulous world of real estate agents battling to close deals in the 1980s. It is a look at the salesmen who embody all the most exploitative and seedy tactics inherent to the American Dream.
The two major figures in the drama are Richard Roma (Nigel Harman), the crown prince of closing who reigns supreme at the top of the competitive board, and struggling has-been Shelley ‘The Machine’ Levene (Mark Benton), who is striving to get off his losing streak. They and their colleagues are battling to close the biggest deals of the month to win a Cadillac and avoid getting fired. Some are thriving, most are crumbling under the pressure.
Harmon’s got an easy charm as Roma. He does well to convey Roma’s arrogance and ruthlessness, the toxicity that underpins his entire personality, whilst making it perfectly clear why people are drawn in by him. The audience is never under any illusion that Roma is a devious bastard, but he is nonetheless a plausibly charismatic one.
I think Benton takes the cake for straddling the nuance of his role with Levene though. The down-on-his-luck realtor is pathetic. But for all Benton oozes desperation, Levene also has the patter. Levene can clearly ‘talk the talk’ and though his endeavours seem wholly destined to fail, you can almost believe his entreaties. If he just gets a good lead, he can close a deal, no problem, it’ll be a sure thing, it’s just been a run of bad luck, you can see that, this isn’t a risk – it’s an opportunity.
In fact, what sells the production is how well the cast can palpably capture your attention. Even on a large set, these fast-talking figures pull you in with their tirades, pitches and soliloquies to the point where you ignore all the surrounding detail. Even when the more pitiable entities like Levene are talking, your attention is concentrated on the few square feet of real estate (pun intended) that they occupy. It is almost as though the set were designed to highlight how captivating everyone can be.
With grandiose levels of swearing and a menu of resentful moral vacuums as the cast of characters, Glengarry Glen Ross is a brilliant investment of your time. ★★★★☆ Fenton Coulthurst 5th March 2019
