Mamet classic loses bite in gender-swapped revival

Patrick Marber’s stripped-back staging of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ feels like a missed opportunity, writes Alice Saville

- Alice Saville

The Old Vic, London

When director Patrick Marber staged David Mamet's bleak 1980s corporate satire Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway last year, he started dreaming, midway through the run, of swapping its cast of pugnacious salesmen for female actors. That never happened. But now, he's belatedly managed to assemble a punchy lineup of huge-haired businesswomen to stomp across the Old Vic's stage. It's quite the spectacle, even if the production doesn't feel quite as carefully put together as their powersuit-based ensembles.